Breaking Down the Bars
by LIFE the RANGER
Summary: Kendall doesn't have a very good life. His dad is abusive and what's worse is he can't speak out. He's mute. But will one certain boy be able to break down the bars of Kendall's past and offer him a brighter future? Total Kogan story. Rated M for language, violence, and possible later scenes
1. Chapter 1

1 Kendall cried out as another wave of intense pain filtered passed his cluttered thoughts to let him know what was going on. He curled up in a ball on his bedroom floor, whimpering softly as he heard his dad's footsteps echo down the hall. His dad would be done with him for the night, at least he hoped so. When his dad got that angry look in his eyes and vengeance was written all over his body, there was no getting out of harm's way. His dad beat him almost every night, leaving various cuts, bruises, and occasionally it left him gasping for breath. The blonde wished, not for the first time, that he had someone outside of the family to talk to. But everyone at school was scared to approach him. It was probably due to the fact he didn't talk to anyone, save for maybe the principal and his counselor. He pretended to be mute at school so no one would know what really went on behind the scenes.

Groaning, Kendall clawed his way onto his bed, ignoring another jab of pain in his badly bruised torso. He laid there for a minute, panting. He could barely catch his breath as his dad had pretty much kicked it out of him with blows after blows to the stomach. He felt much too wired to sleep, but much to weak to do anything else. He reached under his bed and pulled out his sketch book. He flipped open to a new page and, drawing the remaining strength he had, sketched out his newest idea. He worked until he heard the front door slam and his dad's car rev to life and leave. He heaved himself to a sitting position, nearly falling back down from the pain. He sucked in a breath, willing the strength to return. He couldn't afford to miss school. Not many of the teachers cared for him, for obvious reasons. He had a feeling if he missed school he wouldn't get to make up anything he missed.

He climbed into his truck, sitting there for a minute. He gripped the steering wheel until he couldn't feel his knuckles anymore. He hated school. He hated home. He hated his life. He found no obvious escape from his wretched, miserable life. He didn't even have a close friend (or any friends for that matter) to talk too. If he talked at all. Sighing, he flipped his truck into drive and headed for school.

...

Logan hung back from the early morning practice, opting not to shower with everyone else. He hated public showers, and he had a good reason to. He'd rather not explain himself. He did love hockey though, just not showering. James and Carlos made awesome co-captains; Logan didn't care that both had beaten him out for the position. Both were crazy talented at hockey and passionate about the sport. Logan loved hockey too, but he didn't see it as a major part of his future. He wanted to be a doctor, not because his parents were but because he was smart enough to do it. He had all AP classes, and kept up a 4.0 GPA all through high school. He was working on his senior year with James and Carlos. He didn't exactly know what school he wanted to go to yet, but as long as it was away from Sherwood he was happy. Sherwood was a great town, but it wasn't great if you wanted to make something of yourself.

"Hey Logan." Logan looked over to find James running up to him. "Guess who Jett and Carlos cornered in the locker room." Logan gave him a curious look, not knowing who else but the hockey team would be in the locker room before school. "Kendall Knight, the faggot, mute kid." The name seemed vaguely familiar to the brunette.

"Didn't he leave his sophomore year?" Logan asked. Kendall was in the grade below them, making it extra hard for Logan to put a name to a face.

"Yeah," James responded, vigorously nodding his head. "He finally came back to school at the beginning of this year. He won't talk to anyone though. Secretly, I think he can talk." Logan shrugged.

"Let's go see what those idiots are doing," he said. He really could care less about some poor kid they trapped in the locker room. The whole school knew that it was the hockey team's domain in the mornings and if you were caught hanging in there...well too bad for you. He entered the locker room after James, something he rarely did, but he didn't want to miss a possible fight between some schmuck and the Sherwood High hockey team. He loved egging on the fights, sitting ringside with the other members, cheering on whoever was in the fight that day.

He stopped short when he say Kendall. The blonde boy was cowering in the corner they had him in, trying to cover his face with shaking hands. His green eyes held so much fear it was almost overwhelming. Logan had of course heard about Kendall, he just didn't realize that was who the team had caught. They probably hadn't actually caught him in here, they probably nabbed him from the hallway and dragged him in for some torment. The brunette knew pretty much everyone at the school picked on Kendall. He hated the idea that anyone would make someone's life a living hell when they couldn't even defend themselves.

"Guy's leave him alone," Logan said, shouldering away Jett and Wayne-Wayne, another member of the team. They looked at him curiously. Since he wasn't captain he didn't have a huge affect over what team did and didn't do. He looked at James for support. Sensing the blonde boy's distress, the bigger of the captains stepped forward.

"This schmuck doesn't even deserve a beating," he growled at Jett and Wayne-Wayne. "Leave him alone or I'll have Coach make you come over the weekend to do laps around the rink, then clean up the stands after the game." That last comment had an affect. Everyone knew that clean up after a game was the worst job you could be handed. Rarely did any of the team do it, but a few (Jett mostly) had to do it as a form of punishment by Coach. Jett and Wayne- Wayne backed off enough for Kendall to scramble to his feet, gather his belongings, and run out of the room. Logan felt a strong urge to follow him, and he almost did, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to find the eyes of James boring down on him. "Don't," he whispered in the brunette's ear. "It'll make the guys suspect something." Logan knew, deep down, James was right, but he was still concerned for Kendall.

...

Kendall replayed the scene over and over in his head. Logan Mitchell had come to his rescue when he didn't even knew the blonde. Logan may not have been an absolute star at hockey, but everyone knew him as the star goalie. Nothing got by him when he stepped up to the goal. Even his own teammates quaked when they had to try and score on him. Of course the blonde had only heard rumors about Logan's skills. He'd never actually been to a game before. He was terrified by the idea that people would see him in a public place. Since everyone knew of him he wasn't really safe anywhere, but at least at home or at the store where he worked he could hide away and not face the public eye.

He debated on approaching Logan or not, and before he even knew it, he was standing just behind the brunette. His eyes widened in fear and he shied away, about to run off when he heard the sound of a locker closing and a voice behind him.

"Kendall?" Kendall turned around, not quite meeting Logan's eyes, opting to staring at the ground. "Kendall, it's okay to look up at me. I won't hurt you."

_You won't_ Kendall thought. _You're not just saying that so I trust you and then the whole hockey team will come out and make me a permanent spot on the tile floor?_ All the same, Kendall raised his eyes and looked Logan in the face. It was the first time since returning to school that he actually did that. Even some teachers he couldn't look in the eyes.

"I'm sorry about Jett and Carlos dragging you into the locker room. They're such idiots sometimes. I wonder why Coach even lets them stay on the team. Well Carlos I understand, but not Jett. He's messed up more times than I care to count." Logan knew he was rambling now, but he didn't care. Both he and Kendall were insanely uncomfortable with this conversation. Logan silently wished it could be over, but at the same time he wished he could talk to Kendall forever.

_What's happening _he thought to himself. _Why do I want to talk to him so bad? I've never talked to him before in my life!_ But despite what he told himself, he knew somewhere inside what was happening. Kendall was immensely cute; every clumsy and embarrassed motion was adorable. The way he bit his lower lip when he got nervous and the way he shuffled his papers back and forth. Logan could melt, but knew he shouldn't. No one knew his secret (well except James, he knew, which was why he was willing to help the brunette defend the defenseless blonde). He could barely bring himself to face it himself.

Kendall cocked his head to the side, staring at Logan intently. Logan, despite his stocky build, was actually quite lean though the middle. His clothing clung to his muscles on his arms and legs, practically begging the blonde to look at them. He bit his lower lip and risked a glance at Logan's arms. They looked strong enough to knock him down, and he involuntarily flinched away out of habit. Logan looked slightly hurt at the move, but said nothing to indicate that he actually was hurt. Kendall suddenly bolted, leaving Logan to ponder his moves, alone, in the hallway.

...

Later at home, Logan laid on his bed, staring up at his ceiling but not really seeing anything. He kept replaying his and Kendall's conversation in his mind. He decided Kendall was very cute, coming to terms with the fact and trying to get comfortable with it. He knew he should start his homework, but for the first time in his life it was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to go out and find Kendall and have another conversation with him. He actually enjoyed Kendall's presence, more than he thought he would.

He heard the front door slam, signaling the arrival of his parents. They normally worked late, so he was surprised to see it was only 9:24. It must have been a slow night at the hospital, or they got layed off. He settled on the latter and got lulled to sleep by the sound of their doctor chatter.

...

Kendall shivered against the wall, wishing his dad would just leave him alone. He was on his rage fit though, and he had to take it out on something. That something just happened to be Kendall. He'd already used a pocket knife to tear at the flesh on his wrists. Now he was kicking the blonde in the stomach again and again, never letting him suck in a full breath before going at him again. Kendall opened his mouth in his mouth in a silent scream, wishing he could actually scream out his pain and suffering.

"Talk, damn you," his father screamed at him. "So help me God if you don't talk I'll slit your throat and leave you for the dog." Kendall looked up at his tyrant of a father with enough fear to last a lifetime.

"St...stop..." Kendall whispered so quietly it was barely audible. His dad must have heard it though, because he gave him one final kick and left. Kendall silently cried, tears spilling down his face. He thought of the one person he could turn to. He thought about calling that person, but instantly tossed that thought aside. Instead he curled up right there on the floor, sobs racking his body. "Logan," he mouthed, not wanting to speak again. "Please help me."


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey everybody. Thank you so much for the reviews. This was my first BTR fanfic so I was nervous about how it would do. Seems like a good idea to me __. Here's another chapter._

…

Logan woke with a start, not quite believing the dream he had. In his dream, Jett, ruthless tyrant as he was, took things too far by slashing Kendall's throat with razor, leaving him to rot in an alley far away. It was so vivid he had to wonder if he just predicted the blonde's future. He hoped not. It was a scary thought to think about, bloody Kendall lying in an alley, unable to call out for help, slowly and painfully dying. The brunette shuddered. He didn't figure he was going back to bed any time soon, so he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat there for a minute, contemplating the meaning of his dream.

He finally had to get out of his room. His parents were both gone, again, so that left the house for him. He showered and changed quickly, not wanting to dawdle too long. He grabbed a protein bar on the way out and slid behind the wheel of his car. He ate it on the way to practice. As he pulled into the parking lot to the rink, he saw an unfamiliar truck parked at the end of the parking lot. He got out of his car and walked over to it. He was surprised to see Kendall, curled up around a sketchpad in the drivers seat. He gently tapped the window, and the blonde started. He looked up at the brunette with surprise. He rolled down the window and cocked his head to the side.

"Hey Kendall," Logan said, not sure where to start the conversation. "Do you always come to school this early?"

A nod.

"How come I never see your truck then?" Kendall pointed across the parking lot. It took a minute for the information to sink in. "You're normally parked in the teacher's parking lot?" Another nod. Logan thought about why the blonde would want to sit in his truck for almost an hour rather than be at home still curled up in bed. He noticed Kendall's arms had draped over his sketchpad, hiding whatever it was he'd been working on. "Can I see your drawings Kendall?" the brunette asked. The blonde's green eyes widened and he hugged the sketchpad to his chest, shaking his head. Logan looked at him. "I won't make fun of them Kendall."

_I still don't want you to look at them!_ Kendall screamed inside his head. He settled on shaking his head more vigorously, holding the sketchpad so close it was reopening the old wounds on his chest. Logan's eyes traveled downward. Kendall knew he wouldn't be able to see any blood or anything of the sort, but then the brunette's gaze landed on his wrists. His brown eyes widened until the blonde thought they'd pop out of his head. He looked down and saw the freshly made slash marks showing a bit as his sleeve was rolled up just a tad. He yanked it back down, but not in time.

"Oh Kendall," Logan breathed. He reached out and grabbed Kendall's wrist. The blonde flinched away and tried to reclaim his arm. But Logan's hold was firm, and he kept it as he rolled of the sleeve, revealing more ugly scars, bruises, and cuts. Kendall's eyes had misted over, and it looked like he was trying hard not to shed any tears. Logan had to hold them back himself. "Kendall, did Jett and Wayne-Wayne do this to you?" That the blonde could answer truthfully. He shook his head. The brunette looked relieved. "Good, I didn't want to have James and Carlos boot them off of the team." He smiled a bit at the end, and the blonde found himself smiling back. He couldn't explain why, but something in the brunette's smile seemed genuine. He didn't seem like he was trying to hurt him. That was the only touch he'd gotten since coming back to school that didn't have a punch or jab after it.

"Yo, Logan!" Logan whirled around to find Carlos running up the parking lot towards them. Kendall shrank back in his seat, shaking. Logan released the blonde's wrist as Carlos reached them. "Dude, why're you hanging out with this fag? Come inside. Coach is about to blow a gasket; his star goalie is missing and he's ready for warm-ups." As he was talking, the other boy managed to drag the brunette away. Logan turned back to Kendall's truck, but he could no longer see the blonde inside.

…

Kendall waited until just a few minutes before school started to make his way inside. The less time he spent in the hallways the better. The hockey team always tormented him on his way to his first class. He'd learned long ago that he should take his belongings with him at all times, to any class. Try not to stop at your locker. Keep your head down and avoid eye contact. And that's what he did. He shouldered his bag and headed down to auto mechanics class, slipping into his assigned work area and getting an early start with his work. He hated lingering in the hallway. The teacher was normally nice enough to let Kendall arrive before the bell and stay.

"Kendall," he said. Kendall looked at him, cocking his head to show he was listening. "Could you run out to my car and grab the lesson plans for my later classes?" Kendall gulped, but he nodded. He set down his tools and headed out the door. He stood by the door for a second, looking down the hallway. He couldn't see anybody, so he figured it was safe. He started down slowly, keeping watch for anything suspicious. He didn't catch Jett's foot in time, and he tumbled over, bashing his chin on the hard, tile floor. He let out a silent groan and looked up at his tormentor. The rest of the team, minus Logan and James, were gathered in a loose circle around him.

"I saw you with Logan this morning," Carlos growled at the blonde, picking him up by his shirtfront until they were nose to nose. "If you even think about turning him gay I will pound you into the ground so hard we won't need to dig you a grave afterwards, if we'd dig you a grave." He threw the blonde down onto the floor again. Jett and Wayne-Wayne then took turns kicking him in the stomach and side. His stomach exploded in pain as the upset the old bruises and no doubt made more. He gave a silent whimper and tried to curl up, his only self defense move. Ben, another team member, kicked him in the back, making him uncurl and almost howl out loud with pain. Silent sobs overtook him, making him shake. _Logan _he thought. _Please help me! I need you! _On and on the kicking went, with no end in the near future. Kendall had about given up when he heard the most beautiful voice ever.

"Stop!" Logan ran up and tackled Ben, knocking Jett over in the process. Wayne-Wayne, taking the hint, backed away from the bloody blonde. "What's the matter with you?" Logan hissed to the team, looking at each individual member. "Do you think you're so tough that you can pick on the defenseless?" He leaned down and helped Kendall to a sitting position. The blonde clutched his aching sides, almost doubled over in pain. "You won't get away with this," Logan threatened, helping the blonde stand up and walking him out of the hallway.

_Thank you_ Kendall thought to whatever higher power was taking pity on him today. Logan was lifting the bottom of the blonde's shirt to access the damage. Kendall freaked when he felt the brunette's fingers on his torso. He wiggled away from Logan, sinking against the wall and curling up, rocking slightly. Logan looked at him with a gaze mixed with concern and pity. He felt awful for the way the team had treated the blonde. But it seemed to go much deeper than that. Logan was really starting to fall for the blonde, even if they hadn't officially met before this year.

"I'll walk you to the office," Logan offered. "Maybe they can call your dad and he could come get you." The blonde's green eyes widened once again. He looked fearful at the mention of his dad. Logan didn't understand. Weren't kids suppose to look relieved when you mentioned their parents. "How about I just walk you back to class," he said after a minute. The blonde nodded. Logan helped him up and, with Kendall leaning on the brunette's shoulder, walked him back to class. Kendall gave Logan a loose hug before disappearing into the classroom. Logan looked at the door for a long time.

_I'll keep an eye on you Kendall, _Logan vowed to himself. _No one will hurt you if you're my friend._

…

After the beating, Kendall felt too weak to do much of anything. Thankfully the teacher understood and instead of working, the blonde got to sit in the hallway and rest. He was grateful for Logan standing up for him when the hockey team cornered him in this hallway, but he felt unbelievably sad. The brunette had no idea what he was getting himself into. Not only did he stand up for the mute kid, he stood up for the gay mute kid.

It was no secret Kendall was gay. He'd known for a few years. He'd opened up about it last year, the same year that he…left school. He hated thinking about his time away. If he had to choose back then, he would've gladly taken the torment and ridicule at school over the alternative. But his dad didn't let him have a choice. He'd forced him to move away, and later forced him to move back. He knew his dad hated him; had somehow always known, but lately he'd show how much he hated his only son.

The blonde closed his eyes, willing the daydream he'd been having while he thought to go away. Neither school nor home was ever easy for him to bear, but he did his best. Logan seemed to be the only bright side to this whole thing, but he couldn't tell if the brunette was being sincere or if he was setting Kendall up for the biggest prank yet. Maybe the team had set it up that he'd tackle them then lead the blonde away so they could discuss what to do next then confide in the brunette when he returned. Kendall didn't think he was being too fair to the brunette, but after a year of torment from pretty much everyone, he couldn't bring himself to trust Logan yet. Being beaten every night by his dad didn't help either; his trust of anyone at his house was pretty much nonexistent.

The bell rang, signaling the start of his next class. He slung his bag over his shoulder and rushed to his next class, sliding into his seat before he could hunt down Logan, or visa versa.

…

_A/N Well what do you think? Is a friendship truly blossoming between the boys, or is Logan leading Kendall on? Is Kendall right for not trusting Logan? Please read and review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi everyone! I'm having such luck thinking of ideas for this story. It's going so much better than I thought it would. Enjoy!_

…

Logan desperately wanted to follow Kendall home, but he'd promised James he'd hang with him after school, and he never broke his word to he friends. He waited in his car until James hopped in the passenger seat, not even bothering to let the brunette know he was there. That was how long they've been hanging out. They were welcome anywhere within their houses and cars and other property. Logan looked over at the other brunette.

"Where you wanna head today?" he asked. James pointed in the general direction of the public library.

"I have a book report due by the end of the week and I haven't even started a book yet," he said with a lopsided smile. Logan grinned and revved up the car and headed to the library. "So, Kendall," James said slowly. The comment shocked the smaller brunette so much he almost swerved the car off the road. He looked at James sharply.

"What of him?" he asked warily, not sure where James was headed with this. The taller boy shrugged.

"He's kind of cute, I guess. But he's awfully quiet." Logan knew that comment was James trying to be supportive of his…sexual choices. It was a weak attempt, but more than anyone else would bother to give (and that would include his parents, if they were ever home to talk to him). He pulled into the parking lot of the library and got out of his car.

"He is cute," Logan agreed. "I wonder why I've never noticed him before." He said that mostly to himself, but James must've overheard him.

"Probably because he's in the grade below us," he replied. Logan nodded slowly, half agreeing with the taller boy. "He also doesn't do any sports. Have you seen that sketchbook of his? He's a brooding artist." Logan smiled to himself. The description fit the blonde well, as he seemed to love to draw. He stepped inside the library and stopped short. He ducked behind the counter and listened in on the conversation between Jett and Ben.

"What a fag," Ben said in disgust. Logan felt his blood boiling inside, and he had to bite his lip to keep from yelling. James came in and looked at Logan in confusion. Then he noticed the other hockey players and ducked down beside Logan.

"I don't know why Logan's so bent on defending the faggot," Jett said, a smirk evident in his voice. Logan clenched and unclenched his hands, wanting so bad to punch Jett in the face. "And you know he's got James on his side," Jett continued. James glared at the counter, and Logan could swear Jett felt it because he paused for a moment. "I wonder about James," he said after a moment. "He and Logan are really good friends. And both of them are defending the gay guy." Logan felt James shaking with rage. They may be hitting the mark with him, but James was anything but gay. He was only supporting Logan's choices because Logan was on of his closest friends.

"Yeah, well, the plan we have for tomorrow should take care of everything," Ben said. Both of them laughed cruelly and left. Logan stood up and looked at James.

"Can that book report wait?" he asked. "We have more pressing problems to take care of." James nodded and both boys jogged out to Logan's car. "Okay, so where does Kendall live?"

…

Kendall let himself in through the back door, as he kept a key along the doorframe. His dad was, thankfully, absent. It didn't surprise him in the least. His dad was rarely home when he arrived home from school. He was glad his dad was never home. It gave him time to more or less relax, or at least draw in peace. He pulled out his sketchpad and flipped it open to his latest drawing. It was a detailed sketch of Logan's face, brown eyes sparkling and grin noticeable on his lips. But something about it still made Logan look sad. Logan always looked a bit sad when the blonde looked at him, thus it transferred over to his drawing. He worked on shading in the outline of his hairline.

"Hey faggot!" Kendall started when he heard his dad's voice. He flipped his sketchpad closed quickly and stuffed it under the couch cushion. His dad stormed into the room, looking angrier than usual. Kendall flinched when his dad smacked his cheek. "The principal called, said you got in a fight. Did you fight back?" Fearfully, Kendall shook his head. His dad grabbed his wrists and pulled him close so they were face to face. "Next time someone fucks with you at school, you fight back, got it?" Another fearful nod. "You're a disgrace, you know that?" His dads' lips curled back in a smile devoid of any humor. "You're weak; no wonder people constantly wail on you. You're like a human punching bag." He threw the blonde against the wall. Kendall hit with a sickening _thud _and crumpled to the floor. He stayed against wall, too sore to move. Hid dad kicked him in the back, over and over, until his spine felt like it would snap in two. "Come faggot, talk!" his dad screamed. "I know you can. Don't give me that mute act you give the people at school.

"Dad…" he murmured. "Stop…hitting…me." It took all the blonde's energy to say those four words. He laid on the floor, hot forehead against the cool wall. He wanted so bad for someone other than his dad to be there with him right now. He heard a muffled sound, kind of like knocking on the door. Drawing on any reserved strength he had, he pulled himself up on the wall and, using it for support, made his way to the door. He opened it and about fell over again. Not only was Logan standing on his porch, but so was James. He shrank back, not trusting either of them.

"Kendall," Logan said softly, reaching towards him. Kendall shrank back farther. "Kendall, please, you can trust me." Logan cooed quietly, trying not to frighten him. He glanced at James warily, shrinking back into the corner. "James you're frightening him." James backed down the sidewalk, and as he did, Kendall approached Logan slowly, keeping his gaze down. Logan gently took the blonde's hand and turned it over. He saw the marks left by his dad's hands. He felt rage bubbling up, even though he knew he couldn't take on a full-grown man, much less and angry full-grown man.

_I'm so glad you know_ Kendall thought. But he only smiled a little smile at the brunette. Logan felt his heart breaking.

"He did this to you, didn't he?" Logan whispered. Kendall bit his lower lip and nodded. He glanced at Logan's hands for a second, then grabbed one, startling the brunette. He moved his hands to his back, wincing when Logan's hand ran over his spine. He felt for sure it was broken. "Oh Kendall," Logan breathed. "Why did he do this to you?" Kendall looked at him, his eyes watering. "You're in pain," he decided, helping him to the couch. He laid down with the blonde, letting him snuggle against his chest. At first the blonde recoiled at the brunette's touch, but he slowly relaxed. His eyes soon began to close. Logan ran his fingers gently down his back, careful not to touch his spine. Kendall slowly drifted off to sleep.

…

_White walls closed in around him. A white light shone in his eyes, making him squint. He looked around for his dad. Dad? He called. Dad! Little Kendall was scared. Where was his father? He had left him in this place to rot, but was he still here, keeping an eye on him._

_ "Take your medicine Kendall," the nurse said in a false reassuring voice. Kendall drew his lips into a tight line and shook his head. No amount of medicine was going to "fix" him. Being gay wasn't a choice of his; it was who he was. The nurse sighed. "Okay Kendall, have it your way." She grabbed the needle she used to inject something into him before each dosage. Before he could react, she jammed it into the flesh on the inside of his elbow. He cried out in pain. She slapped him. "No whining!" He drew his lips into a thin line again._

_ "Do I have to take the medicine?" he asked finally, his curiosity getting the better of him. "It won't change anything about who I am." Even as he finished his thought he felt himself growing drowsy. _

_ "Goodnight sugar," the nurse said in her faux happy voice again._

…

Kendall woke with a start, falling off the couch and Logan. The brunette had fallen asleep as well, not awakened by the blonde's nightmare. Kendall stared down at him in horror. He couldn't believe he'd felt comfortable enough with Logan to fall asleep with him; on him. He never fell asleep with anyone else in the room, not even his dad. He shook, but with fear or happiness he couldn't decide. He was secretly very happy Logan had stuck around with him and actually aloud him to fall asleep cuddling. He looked down at him with something softer in his gaze.

"Logan," he whispered. "I'll find my voice with you around."

…

_A/N Look at me, two chapters in one day! I'm on fire baby! Hehe just saying __ Read and review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hiya everybody. I'm so glad you love the story so far. I really wasn't sure how this would go down, but it seems to be doing great. And sorry about not updating for a bit, school is so hectic it isn't funny. _

…

Logan woke to find Kendall perched on the edge of the couch, not touching the brunette. He reached out and touched the blonde's hand, causing him to jump up and whirl around. When the blonde saw the brunette awake he got a notebook off the table in front of the couch and quickly scribbled something. He showed it to Logan.

_Please leave_, Logan read to himself._ If my dad finds you, he'll flip a lid. I can't take another beating._ Logan felt his heart break once again. Kendall looked so broken then, unable to keep the only friend he had at home or his dad would beat the shit out of him. He wanted desperately for the blonde to come home with him. He thought it was an excellent idea.

"Come home with me for the night," he tried, not sure if Kendall trusted him yet. He didn't want to push the blonde into doing anything he didn't want to do. As he feared, Kendall's eyes winded until the brunette couldn't take in anymore. "Okay keep your eyeballs in, you can stay here." Logan about snapped. Kendall let out an audible whimper, and the brunette only then realized his mistake. "No Kendall, I didn't…I shouldn't have…" Kendall just pointed at the door. Logan took the hint and left, closing the door softly behind him. "Stupid," he mumbled to himself as he walked to his car. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." He banged his head against his car window, starting when he saw James slumped over in the passenger seat, dozing off. He slid inside, causing James to open his eyes.

"Oh, hey," he said drowsily, rubbing the sleep out of eyes. "How'd it go with Kendall?" Logan gave him such as a sad look he dropped the subject. Logan backed out of Kendall's driveway, moping the whole way home. "Logan, don't get discouraged. As far I as I know Kendall has never trusted anyone," James said, noticing his friend's long face. Logan looked sideways at him as he pulled into his own driveway.

"It's not that," he said slowly. "Before I left I…I snapped at Kendall." James' eyes widened.

"Really?" he asked in astonishment. Logan nodded, dropping is gaze to his hands still gripping the steering wheel. He felt as awful as Kendall's dad; at last he was suppose to be Kendall's friend. Since his dad snapped and yelled all the time, he was probably terrified of it. He hit the steering wheel, accidently hitting the horn and making it honk. He jumped, then gave a nervous laugh. James rolled his eyes and climbed out. Logan followed. "I'm staying over," James announced. Logan nodded. His parents wouldn't care. If they even noticed and extra person was in the house he'd be surprised.

"Sure," Logan responded half-heartedly. James plopped down on the couch, putting his feet on the coffee table. The smaller brunette smiled a bit. "You should stay there all night. Mom and dad wouldn't even notice you. They'd think you're a giant sculpture." James smiled.

"You're probably right," he agreed. His smile faded and he looked up at Logan. "Dude, are you still beating yourself up over snapping at Kendall?" Logan wasn't surprised at the offhanded comment. James could typically read him like an open book. That's how long they've known each other. Each could tell the other's mood. Logan sat on the coffee table, something he did often, as he was the only one home most nights. He sighed and ran his fingers through his short brown-black hair.

"A bit," he admitted. "I shouldn't have done that. He wasn't doing anything wrong. I'd just recommended something he didn't want to do." James nodded slightly, not quite looking at the other brunette.

"Well, there's no need to dwell on it. Tomorrow at school you can apologize to him and it'll be all better." Logan gave a bitter laugh.

"If only it was that simple," he practically spat. "It took forever for Kendall to remotely trust me in the first place. What makes you think he'll want to do it all over again?" He let out a harsh breath and slumped to the floor, not finding the strength to stay on the coffee table any longer. He felt a reluctant hand on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly to see James staring down at him.

"Just apologize," he said again, all seriousness now. "Tell Kendall you're deeply sorry for snapping at him and that it was a huge mistake. Tell him you want to make it up to him. " Logan looked down at his hands, which he proceeded to make fists with.

"I will," he decided. "But will he trust me again. James, you saw the scars and cuts didn't you?" The taller brunette nodded. "His dad does it to him, and I don't know why. You know I don't like knowing how things go." The brunette gave a tiny smile at his own joke. "I really want to help him, and maybe become more than his friend." James made a face, but he didn't say anything against it. He knew Logan's secret, and while he wasn't the happiest person about it, he never tried to stop him from being who he was. Logan was really grateful for that.

"If that's truly what you want, then say that to Kendall. Open up a bit. You're a tough nut to crack sometimes," he said. "It only took me sixteen years to figure it all out, and I still don't know if I know everything about you." Logan gave him a smile and perched back on the edge of the table.

"I don't want to scare him though," he mumbled, out loud but more to himself than anything. "I want him to be comfortable with me. Especially if I'm going to get involved in his life." He looked at James to see if he heard any of that, but, wisely or not, James wasn't paying the brunette a speck of attention right now. He'd flipped on the TV and was browsing through the channels, trying to decide on something suitable to watch. "We have a bunch of movies James," Logan said, louder. "Why don't we put one on and make it a movie night?" James smiled at the air, showing he'd heard.

"You read my mind," he said, settling farther back on the couch as Logan slipped a movie in the DVD player.

…

Kendall dove under his table as his dad stormed into the room. He covered his head with his hands, hoping the whole thing was a terrible nightmare and he'd wake up soon in his own bed, safe and sound. He felt a cruel, cold hand grip his wrist and yank him out from under the table, holding him in the air by one arm. He wiggled like a kitten dangling from its mothers jaw, but to no avail. His dad smiled his signature evil smile.

"Oh Kendall," he said, voice sticky with false sweetness. "You made a big mistake letting him stay here. And sleeping on the couch with him. " He clicked his tongue. "For shame Kendall." The blonde dropped his gaze to the ground. His dad was almost scarier when he was being somewhat nice. His dad suddenly grabbed his chin and forced him to look him in the eyes. "Look at me when I'm talking to you boy," he growled. "You don't want another beating, do you?" Kendall shook his head, tears threatening to spill. His dad saw them.

_No_ the blonde thought, trying to twist out of his dad's vise-like grip. He only tightened his hold and hoisted the blonde up higher so not even his feet touched the ground now. He looked the blond in the eye and smiled his cruel smile.

"Where do you think you're going baby?" he asked, voice no laced with poison. "Gonna go to your room and cry? I didn't raise you to be no goddamn baby!" He then hurled the blonde across the room. Kendall thumped into the couch and landed on the cushions. While his landed was somewhat softer than he was used to, it still knocked the breath out of him. He actually managed to sit up after his landing, causing an unexpected smile, more genuine then the blonde was used to, to come across his dad's face.

_If only I could punch that smile right off your face_ the blonde thought. Of course he held his tongue. Even if he did speak on a regular basis, he would be treading in dangerous waters if he so much as threatened his dad. Which was ludacris, since his dad threatened him every single day of his miserable life.

"That's my boy," his dad cooed softly. "Tough as nails. Now see if you can handle this." Before the blonde could react, his dad landed a good solid punch right on his nose. The blonde fell; he felt blood gushing out his nose and covering the floor. "Clean that up when your done," his dad added before leaving. Kendall waited until he was sure his dad wasn't coming back before slowly rising to his knees. He couldn't go any farther; his head pounded him with pain. He looked at the mess of scarlet blood on the floor, wishing it, and his dad, would disappear and he'd never have see either of them again.

_Why didn't I take Logan up on his offer?_ he thought as he retrieved a rag and some carpet cleaner. _Even if he snapped at me, he meant well. He could've gotten me away from here for the night. He was only trying to help. _He thought about it as he mopped up his own blood. Man wasn't that the perfect metaphor for his life. He chuckled an inaudible chuckle as he worked. He almost felt like whistling, so for once since he returned home he could be rebellious. But he didn't, even if he could whistle (which he couldn't) he wouldn't. His dad would storm back in and it would only make things worse for the defenseless blonde.

He sat back on feet, staring at the red stain permanently put in the carpet by his dad's vicious blow. He thought about all the times his dad had hit him. He shuddered when he thought about it. He set the rag aside and curled up on the couch. Before he knew it, he was drifting off to sleep.

…

_"Don't you dare flinch away from me!" Kendall cowered away from his dad as blow upon blow landed on every bit of his body they could reach. His dad yanked him to his feet, preparing another punch. Kendall cringed, but when he didn't feel anything, he opened his eyes. His dad gave him a wicked grin and sent an upper cut his way. It connected solidly with his jaw, and he felt like the bone in it had snapped in half._

_ "Dad," the blonde sobbed. "Stop." He found it hard to talk with what he believed was now a broken jaw. He felt it tenderly, working his hands over the fractured bone. His dad smacked his hand away._

_ "Suck it up son," he said evilly, throwing in a laugh to finish the affect. "When you get back from where I'm taking you, what I'm doing now won't be near as bad." Kendall stared up at him, confused._

_ "Where am I going?" he asked. He winced when a duffel bag hit him in the stomach._

_ "Just get the bag and lets go," his dad growled, grabbing the car keys. "We have a long ride ahead of us…"_

…

Kendall woke with a start. What an awful nightmare to have shortly after a beating. But he had nightmares like that often, so it wasn't like it greatly surprised him. He took his phone out of his jeans pocket and looked at it. He squinted as the light blinded him, but he could just make out a new number programmed into the contacts list. With great effort, the blonde typed out a new message.

_Logan, it's Kendall. Come get me. I don't want to be here anymore._

…

_A/N: Oooooh Kendall finally wants help. And now you're starting to see a bit into Kendall's broken past. You also saw the friendship that James and Logan have, which is really sweet of them. Do you think Logan can finish what he started to do? READ AND REVIEW!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi everybody! Thank you for being so patient with me! Chapter five is now here! I hope you really enjoy it. Fun fact: this is now my longest story on here._

_Someone has brought a very good point to my attention. The reason Kendall has Logan's number is before he fell asleep, he programmed it into his phone before he himself feel asleep. I hope that clears things up a bit. On with the story. _

_Disclaimer: I own not a thing :P_

…

Logan pulled up in front of Kendall's house, heart pounding and hands sweating. He was well and truly here to pick up Kendall and take him far away from here. He gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Even though it was well after two in the morning, he felt wide-awake. He wondered if it was excitement or nervousness. He knew Kendall's dad would eventually come looking for him, and it could be catastrophic if he found him at the brunette's house.

He finally steeled his nerves enough to walk up to the door. He tested the knob. The door swung open with such a force Logan practically jumped back down the steps. Kendall peered back at him through the darkness. He held out a duffel bag packed with his things. Logan took it and noticed dried blood on his wrists. He took then gently, and this time, Kendall let him. He ran his fingers over the scratches. Then he took in the sight of Kendall's bloody nose. He about fainted on the spot.

"Oh Kendall," he said quietly. "You're dad's such a jerk." Kendall whirled around in fright, expecting to see his dad overhearing their conversation. Logan gently wrapped his arm around the blonde boy's shoulders and led him out. He flinched at the cold, and the brunette noticed he had no coat. Like a gallant knight, he removed his and slipped it around the blonde. He smiled and nodded, which Logan understood as thank you. He guided him down the steps and to his car. He opened the passenger side door for him. He smiled again and slipped inside.

They boys soon found themselves outside of Logan's house. Kendall stared up at it. Logan then remembered this was his first time at his house. He led him inside, and was surprised to see James up and waiting for him.

"I was wondering where you'd gone. No I see you've got pretty boy with you." Kendall blushed at the words pretty boy. Logan tried his best to hide the grin on his face. "Next time, wake me up when you're going on a middle of the night kidnapping." Now it was Logan's turn to blush. He hadn't necessarily kidnapped the blonde.

"Would it be considered kidnapping?" he asked the taller brunette worriedly. Kendall watched the conversation unfold with interest. These two seemed perfectly at ease with each other. He wished he had someone like that.

"Depends," James said with a shrug. "Did you go there, force him to pack that duffel bag you've got there, then shove him into your car and peel off." Logan punched his friend in the arm, though he couldn't help but grinning.

"No," he replied. "Kendall texted me and told me to come get him." The taller brunette's eyebrows shot up when he heard Kendall now had Logan's number, but he didn't comment. He tapped his chin as if in deep thought. Though Logan knew James, and he wasn't a deep thinker.

"So if the police make a sudden appearance at your house, you can show them the text as proof you didn't kidnap the guy right out from under his bastard daddy's nose?" Kendall winced at the tall brunette's harsh words, no matter how dead on his description was. By law, Kendall's dad was still his caretaker. He could press charges if he thought a crazy high school hockey player had kidnapped his son, even if Kendall could countercharge him for child abuse. He'd contemplated it enough times. He looked at Logan to see his reaction. But Logan's expression was devoid of any sort of emotion.

"Well Kendall, by state standards, should be in a foster home by now," he countered. Kendall hadn't thought about that one. He should. As crappy as his life was, he wouldn't do well in a foster home. Not in his situation anyway.

"But technically he still has one parent who's functional enough to care for him, no matter how dumb the fucker is," James shot back. Kendall had, had just about enough. He pushed his way in between the squabbling boys, drawing their attention to him. He made a slash over his throat; the universal sign for knock it off. Logan nodded and swallowed back the retort he had ready for James. Kendall gave him a grateful look and yawned. Logan ushered him to the couch and had him lay down.

"Sleep tight Kendall," he whispered, covering him with a large red quilt. He gave another yawn and closed his eyes. The brunette whistled softly. Kendall must've been really tired if he fell asleep on the couch and a home he barely knew. He put his forefinger to his lips and gestured down the hall to James. Both boys made their way back to his room. James closed the door softly behind him and turned to face the shorter brunette.

"What if he wakes up and is disoriented? He could freak out, and you know that wouldn't be good." Logan nodded slowly. He didn't want to keep Kendall holed up in the living room, but he didn't know what else to do. All options seemed to escape him and he was drawing a blank.

"I don't know what to do," he admitted at last. He sighed. "You know how I hate not knowing stuff. But this is one equation that doesn't seem to have an answer." James smirked at his math reference, but he was just as stumped as Logan. He had no idea what to do with the beaten blonde laying on the couch.

"Maybe we can pry some answers out of him," he said finally, not knowing what else to say. "He can write down what's happened to him, and we can go from there." Logan had t admit it was a good idea. But… What if Kendall wasn't ready to be questioned?

"Let's just see how this goes," Logan finally decided, plopping down on his bed. He didn't feel tired at all, so he leaned against his headboard and folded his hands over his lap. It was going to be a long wait until morning.

…

_Kendall stared out of the car window. He glanced back at his dad again. He still had no idea where they were off to._

_ "Where are we going?" he asked for the tenth time in ten minutes. His dad simply leaned across the car and smacked his cheek. Kendall cried out and clutched is sore cheek. He decided he wouldn't ask again. He stared back out the window, watching houses, trees, fields roll by. He imagined where his dad was taking him. He imagined extended vacations; sitting on beautiful white sand beaches, getting sick on junk food in amusement parks, traveling from state to state. He sighed happily. It sounded wonderful. _

_ "We're here," his dad announced, getting out of the car. Kendall looked up at a pale grey building in confusion. This wasn't part of his fantasy. He read the sign (which took some time to make out). He saw REHABILITATION CENTER FOR THE SEXUALLY CHALLENGED. Kendall's eyes widened. His dad was sending him to straight camp! _

_ "Straight camp?" he asked. "Dad, why? What's wrong with the way I am?" His dad made a face and dragged him out of the car. He started kicking and wiggling around. "Dad!" he wailed. "Dad, don't make me go in there!" _

…

Kendall woke up flailing around on a strange couch. He looked around in confusion. This wasn't his house. Where was his couch? Where was his room? He sat up quickly, panic rising in the pit of his stomach. He had no idea where he was. Then he remembered where he was, and the panic fizzled out like flat soda pop. He relaxed against the arm of the couch, taking deep breathes.

"Sleeping beauty's up." Kendall started at the sound of James' voice. He stared uncomprehendingly at the tall brunette for a minute before shyly waving. "Oh yeah, pretty boy doesn't talk." Kendall blushed, and James felt bad for his harsh words. "It's fine Kendall," he said gently. "I finally got Logan to sleep a bit. That guy's harder to lay down than floppy wood." James smiled at his own joke, but Kendall just gave him a blank look, so James sighed. "The point is, Logan's sleeping, so you only have me to uh 'talk' to." Kendall nodded his understanding. He started to sign something, a skill he picked up when you're mute, but now it was James' turn to give a blank look. He grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled something quickly. He showed it to the brunette.

"How much talking can we do when one of us is mute," he read out loud. He smiled a bit. "Well you have that paper there so we can talk quite a bit." Kendall scribbled something else. "Point taken. Ha, you're funny Kendall." Kendall felt himself warming to the tall brunette. He wasn't sure what to think of him at the start.

"What's going on here?" asked a sleepy voice from behind them. Both boys turned to see Logan standing in the doorway, rubbing the last bit of sleep from his eyes. Both of them looked at each other, grinning.

"Oh not much," James said casually. "Just having a lovely conversation with Kendall here." Logan looked confused, but he decided not to ask. "I'm kidding," James elaborated, taking pity on the confused, small brunette. "Kendall's writing stuff down and I'm reading it out loud for shits and giggles." Kendall smiled. He knew when someone was pulling someone else's leg.

"So you're doing most of the talking," Logan decided. James thought about it for a minute.

"Yeah," he said. "That's pretty much it. Don't we have to get ready for school?" Logan sighed and headed down to the bathroom. James turned his attention to the blonde sitting on the couch. "Logan and I decided you're staying home, well here at least, today. We'll make up some excuse for you. Just rest and heal." Kendall quickly wrote something else down and showed it to the brunette. "My dad will be contacted if I don't show up," James read. "Ouch. Well okay. I'll tell Logan about that. We'll still think of something."

Kendall smiled as James walked down the hall, calling Logan's name. He felt like he could trust them. He hoped he could.

…

_A/N: Again, thank you for being so darned patient. I hope this chapter was well worth the wait. I hope to update again real soon. But for now, read and review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey yall. So glad you're liking the story so far. It's been a pleasure writing it. So enjoy another chapter of __**Breaking Down the Bars. **__This one will have a little bit of what the hockey team plans to do to Kendall._

…

"Do you have any idea what the team plans to do with him?" Logan asked James after they'd dropped Kendall off at his first hour class. The rest of the team had been lying in wait for the blonde, but when they'd seen James and Logan they'd departed quickly. James gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"I don't really know," he said. "And I can't find out now. The whole team knows I'm on your side as of now. That could quickly change though Logan," he warned. "People are starting to talk about me and you. We can't have that." Logan blushed so deeply it almost replaced his tanned skin.

"You know I don't like you," Logan defended himself, sounding almost hurt. James should have more faith in him. Actually he was starting to like Kendall. He really enjoyed the blonde's company, and discovered he missed him dearly when he wasn't around. He felt a tiny void sometimes when he was away. He felt it was more than like at this point. It was almost…love. He could go so far as to say he loved the blonde. "Do you?" he muttered. "Or is this a week thing and you'll only break his heart." He spat that last comment out like venom. He was thinking of a past relationship that went awry.

"Forget Carlos," James whispered in the brunette. "He has no idea what he's missing." Logan dropped his gaze to the floor. He punched the nearest wall in frustration. "Hey," James said, moving in front of him. "It's his fault anyway. You did nothing wrong." Logan scowled and shoved passed him. "Logan!" James called, but it was in vain. Logan was already long gone.

…

Kendall was nervous. He hadn't seen Logan in the hall like he promised he'd be. Which meant that he'd have to try and slip unnoticed passed most of the hockey team. If they couldn't get him before class, they made up for it by getting him after class. He gulped and looked into the hallway. He didn't see anyone, but that could mean a lot of things. They were mostly likely lying in wait for him where he couldn't see them. He felt a hand on his back and jumped. He whirled around, finding himself face to face with his teacher.

"See you tomorrow Kendall," his teacher said, gently shoving him out of the door. Kendall stared down the hall for a moment, clutching his books to his chest. He gulped again, mustered up what little courage he had, and started making his way slowly down the hall. A foot popped out from behind the first doorway he passed. He couldn't stop in time and ended up tripping, scattering his books and papers all over the hall. He looked up into the face of Carlos, the captain of the team present (James was the second, but he didn't condone this kind of thing). Kendall's eyes widened in fear and he scrambled backwards, right into the waiting arms of Ben. He wrapped him in some sort of wrestlers hold while Jett wrapped a length of rope around him.

"Well, well," Carlos said, pacing in front of the blonde. Kendall never moved his head, but he followed the movement all the same, with just his eyes. He waited for Carlos to continue his speech. "Look what the cat dragged in, or should I say, look what the hockey player wrestled in." He smirked at Kendall, clearly thinking he'd said something funny. The other players laughed like he'd told the world's biggest joke, but the blonde didn't get it. Was that supposed to be funny? "Back to my main point," the dark-skinned brunette continued. He paced the hall in front of the blonde. Kendall followed him with his eyes. He made no move to do or say anything, if he spoke to his rambunctious classmates at all.

"Dude, stop pacing and tell the dope what we plan to do with him," Ben snapped, finally at the end of his rope with Carlos' excessive pacing. The dark-skinned brunette stopped and ran his fingers through his short-cropped hair. He gazed intensely at the blonde, making him squirm. If there was one thing he hated, it was being stared down by overpowering schoolboys. He wiggled backwards, fell over, and wiggled away like a worm, causing loud laughter to erupt from the assembled team. He felt his cheeks flair up red, and he told himself not to cry.

"Yes, what we plan to do," Jett said eagerly, licking his lips in anticipation. Kendall met his gaze steadily, though inside he was shaking. Whatever they had planned, it couldn't be good. He used his head to motion down the hall, in the general direction of Logan's classroom. Carlos watched the movement and a small spark of sadness lit his eyes.

"Untie him quick," he directed at Jett. The boy looked surprised, but complied. Kendall rubbed his arms where the rope left burns. He grabbed one of his notebooks and scribbled something out. He showed it to Carlos, who peered at it intensely.

_What would Logan say? _He now saw overwhelming sadness in the dark-skinned boy's brown eyes. He decided something must have happened between the two boys to cause that. Abruptly, Carlos snapped to attention and looked at Wayne-Wayne.

"Tie him up again!" he barked. It startled Wayne-Wayne so much he tied the rope around Kendall again in a matter of seconds. "Take him to the truck," Carlos said more quietly, looking almost defeated. Jett and Ben hoisted the blonde up over their heads and briskly marched out of the side door. They threw him into the back of a small black truck. Kendall gazed up at them pleadingly, hoping to appeal to their softer nature. But he found no remorse there, only the drive to get the revenge on the boy who was turning their other captain gay. He groaned inwardly as a blow to his head came out of nowhere. He saw pretty blue stars before drifting off to sleep.

…

"Where do you suppose Kendall ended up?" Logan asked. James reacted with little interest. He'd heard it about fifty times by now (and he was pretty sure he'd hear it fifty more), but all the same he was getting sick of the broken record brunette. He began lightly tapping him on the arms and shoulders. Logan viewed the actions with mild interest. "What are you doing?" he asked? James smirked as he kept tapping him.

"Trying to see if you have an off switch," he said. Logan grinned and, as the brunette brought his hand down for another tap, he smacked it away.

"I do not come with an off switch," he said, laughing. James laughed as well, enjoying the little moment of ease between them. All day Logan had been fidgety, waiting until the final bell for the day rang and he could basically kidnap Kendall and take him back to his house. James was glad he could take the brunette's mind off his troubles for a bit. He finally stopped hitting his friend and dropped his arm back to his side, seeming lost in thought. Logan glanced sideways at his friend. Even if he would never openly admit it, he was worried for Kendall's safety as much as he was. "Hockey practice," the brunette reminded his friend gently. James nodded absentmindedly.

"Wait," he said, stopping so quickly Logan rammed into his back. He peeled himself off his friend and glared at him. "Do you think the team planned something for him?" he asked the brunette. Logan pondered it for a moment, then shrugged.

"I don't think so," he said slowly, not altogether confident with his own words. The team had seemed sincerely pissed at Kendall for the affection he was getting from their star goalie. The more he thought about it, the more logical it seemed. How else could the blonde have upped and disappeared? He thought about the main people who would be in charge of causing the blonde any sort of pain. Jett and Wayne-Wayne of course. And…Carlos. Any sadness he felt before was replaced with anger. How dare the team try to cause any harm to the defenseless blonde?

"I know that look," James commented. "Let's go kick some people off of the team."

…

Kendall awoke and looked around in confusion. He didn't recognize his surroundings. It didn't even look like the inside of a building. He could see the sky and the building clouds above his head. He looked left and right and saw the two- foot high truck sides. Memories came flooding back. The struggle with most of the hockey team. The confrontation with Carlos, and the sadness the dark-skinned brunet expressed at the mention of Logan's name. Being thrown into the back of this truck and being knocked silly by some unseen hand. He shuddered at that last one. Something truly horrifying was about to happen, that he was sure of. He struggled to a sitting position, crying out and audible cry of pain as the rope bit into his skin.

_Why the rope?_ he wondered. What would they gain by hogtying him and tossing him in the back of a truck? He glanced around now that he was sitting, and terror seized his heart. The truck had been driven away from the school grounds and parked in the dark and ominous woods. Kendall knew without a doubt that the truck was far enough in that it would be next to impossible to find his way out with the light fading like it was. It was probably only late afternoon, but with the clouds covering the waning sun it was growing increasingly and steadily darker by the minute.

He wiggled the ropes off and rubbed the craps out of his stiff muscles. He groaned as he attempted to stand. His legs screamed in protest due to their lack of use. He slowly climbed out of the bed of the truck, using the side for support. He studied the ground critically. He made out the faintest trace of a footprint. He was very skilled at tracking due to his dad's attempts to discard him in the woods and leave him to die and rot and eventually turn into organic compost. He smiled at his own thought. As gruesome as it was, he thought it was rather funny.

"Logan would have appreciated that," he said to himself, surprised by his own voice. He normally didn't talk to himself in situations like this. He amended Logan was turning him into a softy. But he was still smiling. Even if he was, Kendall was glad he'd found someone who he could smile about, who would make him smile. Not many people could do that, or even try to do it. Most people just viewed him as the gay, mute kid. Even if he couldn't voice his feelings, it still stung when he thought about it. He felt the inevitable tears that followed a thought like that.

He soon found himself at a dead end. The traces of footprints had disappeared some ways back. And the trail he'd been following almost doubled back on itself. Kendall, despite his previous adventures in the woods, was disoriented as he tried to pick his way out of the dense undergrowth. More terror seized his heart, He felt a deep sense of longing after that, longing that only a certain brunette could satisfy.

…

"I'm worried James," Logan said for the umpteenth time. The taller brunette was getting quite sick of it, but he shared his friend's concern. Kendall hadn't been waiting for them after practice like they'd instructed him to. Logan's forehead had instantly creased with worry, but James pointed out he probably went back to his house beforehand since practice had been running late that night. Logan accepted it diplomatically. That was probably the case. He knew the blonde wasn't the most patient person in the world. He'd probably just grown bored with waiting around and headed back to Logan's house ahead of them. Just to be on the safe side, Logan had driven straight home. His parents cars were both gone, unsurprisingly. But, and this was surprising, the blonde had been nowhere in the house. He'd searched it from top to bottom with no success or sign of the blonde anywhere.

"He'll turn up," James said evenly, gritting his teeth. When the brunette turned away to pace across the living room, James let out the sigh he'd been holding in. "I hope. Kendall, where are you?"

…

_A/N: Well, what do you think? And thanks for all the support. Its all the good ratings I've been getting that keep me driven to write on._


	7. Chapter 7

Hey everybody! Here's a new chapter for you! And in this one you'll find out what happened between a certain brunette and a certain hockey captain.

…

Kendall opened his eyes and shifted as he felt a pebble in his back. He'd been forced to spend the night in the woods after the hockey team abandoned him in the back of a truck in the middle of the confusing, winding path. How they'd managed to get out was beyond him. He sat up stiffly, cursing silently as a sharp pain overtook his torso. He ran his fingers over the new cut that went halfway across his stomach. He hated trees now. One with a particularly sharp branch had sliced his stomach. He'd managed to stanch the flow of scarlet blood using his long-sleeved outer shirt. He'd discarded the shirt last night after it got soaked through. He was pretty sure the bleeding had stopped.

He rose to his feel slowly, still groggy from sleep and still disoriented from his late night navigating through the already dark woods. He looked around. He didn't remember coming to this particular location. He must have stumbled here on the last reserves of strength to find a more suitable place to sleep off the day. He looked for the small game trail he'd been following in hopes of getting out of this damned forest.

"Well at least I can talk," he said out loud to the undergrowth. Of course there was no response (he'd be greatly surprised if there was). He was content to talk to inanimate objects. They wouldn't talk back to him in a negative way, nor would they poke fun of him for his sexual preferences or life-style choices. He talked quietly to his pillow a lot. It was almost his best friend, almost.

He smiled when he thought of Logan. At first the idea of sharing his life with someone other than himself terrified him beyond words (no pun intended). But so far it had been a wonderful experience, and he was pleased he'd let his guard down enough to allow Logan access to his very personal thoughts and feelings. It was something else for him entirely, especially after going away for a year. But he was glad he did it. Perhaps one day he'd actually speak to Logan. Man wouldn't that surprise the brunette.

He wandered around for a bit until the found the game trial and turned his head right and left. Which way had he come from? Now that he found it, he wasn't entirely sure which way to go. He shrugged and started out right. He passed by a few trees with slash marks on them. He shrugged again. Probably some other teens being wild and hurting a few of mother earth's babies. Little did he know he was going deeper into the forest, and the slash markings were his, telling him wrong way.

…

"Logan are you seriously going to mull over this Carlos thing forever?" James asked in a last attempt to get the boy's mind off of it. The brunette stared up at him in a familiar look and James resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "What would Kendall say…er write…if he saw you obsessing over an old boyfriend. And do you think Carlos had something to do with Kendall's sudden disappearance?" That brought Logan's mind firmly back to reality.

"It's possible, I guess," he said slowly. "But what would they gain with him out of the picture? They'd gain nothing, certainly not your support." James nodded at that one. He'd never really liked Kendall, but he never really bothered him. James had a saying (not that he ever verbally said it). If I don't bother him, he won't bother me. But now the tall brunette was intertwined with a whole mess of things, most of which involved Kendall.

"Look, I'd say that's the most likely answer," he said in response to the smaller brunette. "I say the hockey team kidnapped the poor boy, scared the living daylights out of him, and dragged him off somewhere and abandoned him." Logan turned to look at him. Neither of them knew that James had it in a nutshell of course, but the thought of his poor Kendall, afraid and alone, being abandoned somewhere was a little more than he could take. He slumped onto his bed, resting his head on his knees. He felt a hand on his back. Normally, he'd try and push it off, but today he had no strength to do so. All this mulling had him drained.

"I don't know what to do James," he said truthfully after awhile. "If it is the hockey team, then we really have no choice but to kick a few off, but one is the other captain. That won't sit so well with Coach will it?" Logan had a point. No team is happy to see one of their captains blamed for anything (even if the whole team is in on the operation anyway).

"Why don't you sleep it off," James said gently, getting up and stretching his arms over his head. "After a good nights rest, you'll know what to do." He softly closed the door behind him as he walked out.

…

_"Baby." Carlos wrapped his arms around Logan's waist and swung him around in a circle. Logan laughed and tried to escape the Latino's vise-like grip. Carlos just held him tighter, but he was laughing right along with Logan. He lightly picked the brunette off the floor and tossed him on his bed. He crawled next to him and both lay there while they recovered their breath. Carlos smiled down at the brunette beside him. Life was good._

_ "Carlos," Logan said. Carlos turned to him lazily. Right now he just wanted to close his eyes. "I have something to tell you." Carlos looked more alert. He propped himself up on his elbow and gazed steadily at the brunette. Logan took a deep breath, not quite believing he was about to say this. "I am incredibly happy, and you know that." Carlos smiled and nodded. "But…" Logan said slowly, and let it trail off. _

_ "But what baby?" Carlos questioned._

_ "But…" Logan steeled his nerves and looked him straight in the eyes. "I've found someone else." That was a lie of course. He didn't have anyone else. But Carlos wouldn't listen to comments like 'I just need my space' or 'let's just be friends'. Something a little more extreme was in order for him. He saw several emotions roll through the Latino's expression, and then he shoved the brunette off the bed. _

_ "Just get out," he said quietly. Logan gave a tiny nod and quietly padded out of the room, and closed the door. Carlos watched the door and whispered to it, "If I ever see this other guy, I'll make him pay. Mark my words Logan."_

…

Logan thrashed around, and then finally threw the blanket off. He bolted upright and panted hard, looking around. What a dream! He hated reliving the moment when he broke up with Carlos. He was glad he did it, don't let that fool you, but he felt a little pain in his stomach every time he thought of it. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and rested his head on his hands. He looked up finally and lay back, staring at his ceiling.

"Logan?" Logan heard his mom's voice through his door. "Are you okay? I heard you call out." He saw his doorknob slowly turn and he watched his door swing open.

"Yeah mom," he said, surprised she was even home. He glanced at his clock. 4:30 am. That was why. It was early morning. "I was just having a bad dream, that's all." She gave him a sympathetic look.

"Was it about Carlos?" she asked innocently. He glared at her, then realized that that pretty much gave away the answer. He sighed and gave her a nod. He sat up and perched on the edge of his bed.

"Yes. I was dreaming about…" He paused. His parents didn't necessarily know he was gay yet, so he couldn't exactly tell her the specifics of the dream. "About him kicking me off the team," he finally said, settling on the third or fourth thought that emerged from his subconscious.

"Why would Carlos kick you off the team?" his mom asked. "You're Sherwood High's best goalie. Logan smiled and looked at her. This was the longest conversation he'd had with her in awhile.

"You're right mom," he said, lying back down. "I'm worried about nothing. Night." She softly kissed his forehead and closed the door as she exited his room.

…

Kendall had to spend another night in the damned forest. He hadn't been successful in getting out. Quite frankly he wasn't sure he wanted out. In nature, he fit in better. He's already made friends with two birds, a rabbit, and a squirrel. The trees held out their various shades of green branches to welcome him and oftentimes point him away from danger. He settled into some bushes that provided a soft spot for sleeping.

"Perhaps I should just stay lost," he said to the bushes. "Here with you guys, I fit in better." Then he smacked his head. He was talking to a bush. Perhaps he should have picked up what's left of his sanity and get out of the forest while he could. He settled deeper into his shelter and closed his eyes. Sleep would not come though, and he lay awake for hours, listening to the quiet, muffled sounds of friends as they all talked to each other.

He rolled onto his side and caught sight of a pair of eyes. He jerked back in surprise then smiled when he saw his squirrel friend.

"Hey Zippy," he said sleepily. "What are you doing?" Zippy chattered at him and made a vague impression of pointing at the sky. Kendall rose slowly and looked up. The sun was lazily coming up from the horizon. He stretched his arms and looked up at his bird friends. "I didn't get any sleep, but I should get going anyway." He took one step and face planted onto the ground. He lay there for a while, debating on sleeping or walking.


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you for being sooooo patient with me! I have several projects I'm working through right now, I'm surprised I know which ones I'm typing ;) okay here you go, I've made you wait enough_

…

Logan blinked the sleep out of his eyes. James was right. A night of sleep can do wonders for a totally stressed out body. He rolled out of bed and wandered down the hall to the bathroom. His parents' room was empty, so no surprise there. He was surprised, however, to see James in his bathroom. The brunette turned around and gave him a grin.

"Okay dude, get dressed. I wrung Carlos' neck, not literally, until he squealed. For a hockey captain he's not very tough." James was met with a blank stare. "I got him to spill on what the did to your precious blonde mute." Logan's eyes widened. His Kendall? James knew where his Kendall was? "It appears I was right. The tied him up in the back of a truck, then abandoned said truck in Sherwood Forest." Logan's eyes narrowed.

"What are we waiting for?" Logan asked, running down the stairs. He turned around to look at James. He was shooting the shorter male amused looks. "Are you coming? We have to go!"

"Sure I'll go," James said casually. "If you really want to go tramping through the forest in a t-shirt and boxers." Logan looked down, and blushed. He grabbed a blanket from the couch and wrapped it around his waist. James chuckled as Logan stumbled up the stairs and into his room. He waited by the staircase until Logan emerged, dressed in jeans and a pale blue polo. James rolled his eyes and shoved him down the stairs. "Let's just go," he said, not worrying about Logan's obsessive dressing up.

…

Kendall felt calm, calmer than he had in a long time. Away from the relentless taunting from his peers and the vicious beatings by his dad, he felt himself opening up a bit more. He felt like he should do the unthinkable. He wanted to talk to Logan. But perhaps that wasn't such a wise idea. He never talked to anyone, except himself or the forest creatures. He didn't want to ruin the fact he was the mute kid. Besides, if Logan did come, James couldn't be too far away. It seemed those two had become inseparable. He knew any other person would feel jealous of their intense friendship, but he just couldn't muster up the feeling. He felt grateful to James for not only keeping an eye on Logan when he wasn't around, but also being such a nice friend to him.

"So Zippy," he said to the squirrel, who'd approached unnoticed. "Do you think anyone will come and find me? Or am I fated to live in the forest for the rest of my life? Not that I mind of course." His sanity had officially left the building, but he didn't care. He liked the forest creatures. Sometime earlier in the day, he'd found the truck again. At first, he was bummed. That meant he'd just walked in a big circle. So he opted to hunker down in the truck bed (he already looked, no keys). Zippy, Angela, and Mike (two of the birds that followed him all over the forest) came to keep him company. While they seemed to understand what he said, they weren't very chatty. He almost wished he was back in school so he could hear the low drum of voices in the background. He sighed and leaned his head against the window.

He wasn't even aware he'd fallen asleep until a noise woke him up. He cocked his head to the side. It sounded like voices. And not just any voices. Two voices he'd come to know very well after a week of hearing them. James and Logan! They'd come for him! He then did something he swore he'd never do.

"Logan!" he called out. He surprised himself by doing that. But then he shrugged. It was Logan. If he couldn't talk to Logan he couldn't talk to anyone. He watched as Logan and James cut their way through the undergrowth. Logan had a giant cut over his eye (a losing battle with a sharp branch) and James had mud and leaves in his hair (which he complained about for ten minutes). All together, they were a sorry little band of boys. But Kendall was thrilled all the same. Someone actually cared enough about him to risk not only their own reputation but quite possibly their health as well. Logan saw the blonde, covered in dirt, scratches, and leaves, but he couldn't have looked more beautiful.

"Kendall," he breathed. It was that magical moment when two people meet again who've been away from each other (even if it was only for a day). Kendall leapt out of the back of the truck and was immediately run into by Logan, who wrapped him in a fierce embrace. Kendall smiled. Something was bothering James.

"Logan," he said slowly. "Did Kendall just talk?" Logan pulled away from Kendall and looked at him curiously. Kendall just shrugged and kept smiling. He wasn't about to say a thing (oh the irony in it all, huh?) Logan kept staring at him and the blonde's smile started to fade. He really did want to say something, but not in front of James. He snuck a quick look at the taller brunette, and Logan took the hint.

"James," he said, turning to the brunette. "Why don't you go…uh…" James himself took the hint.

"You know what, I have to go locate my car. I'll be back." On his way by, he leaned closer to Logan. "Don't blow this dude or you'll never hear the end of it. Not so much from him but from me." Logan rolled his eyes. James wasn't really that scary.

"Yes sir," he said as James followed the path back the way they came. Logan looked back at the blonde, whom he still had a hold of. Quite frankly, he never wanted to let him go. He smiled at Kendall and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Okay Kendall," he said quietly. "If you want to say something, James is gone. At least he better be!" Logan raised his voice a little, and the bushes on the opposite side of the truck rustled as James moved farther away from the couple. "Okay now he is," the brunette said with a chuckle. "What do you have to say?" Kendall scrunched his face up like he was thinking. Finally he just shrugged. Logan rubbed circles on his back and encouraged him to speak by whispering to him in soft tones. To Kendall, it was very soothing, and it was making him a bit sleepy. Since he hadn't gotten any sleep, he couldn't avoid the inevitable, and that was he needed sleep.

"Hey guys I…oh I see your busy." James had returned, with the car now only parked a few meters away. He looked at Logan, whom had Kendall cradled in his lap. The blonde was fast asleep. "Logan, what happened?" James asked with a shake of his head. Logan tried to shrug but it made Kendall stir, so he just looked at James.

"Kendall was tired," he said. "Let's get him back to my house. Maybe after a nap he'll be willing to talk for us."

…

Kendall opened his eyes and looked around the now familiar settings. He was in Logan's living room, a green blanket draped over his shoulders to keep him warm as he slept on the couch. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around for the brunette, but caught sight of James instead.

"Logan, blonde haired sleeping beauty is awake!" James called out. Logan immediately came into the living room from the kitchen. He handed a mug of hot chocolate to the blonde and sat next to him on the couch. Kendall looked down and found himself in clean, borrowed clothes. Not only that, but he was all squeaky clean as well. His eyes widened and he looked at the two boys. "You are a very heavy sleeper," James said with a grin. Logan smacked the back of his head.

"Pay no mind to James, he's been breathing his own hairspray too long. We gave you a kind of sponge bath. That basically amounted to us filling a bucket with warm water and soap and using a rag to clean you up. We brushed the leaves out of your hair. You'll need to take a shower to get out the rest of the gunk. And I was the one that dressed you. I made James leave so he wouldn't see anything." At that James rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't gonna look while you dressed him you know," he retorted. "Besides, you threw a blanket over him." Logan raised his eyebrows.

"I did that after I made you leave. You were peeking weren't you?" James suddenly took an interest in his white sneakers. Logan shook his head. Kendall just smiled. He actually liked listening to the best friends bicker like preteen girls. All the while, he wanted to thank the boys for being so nice. He tapped Logan on the shoulder and the brunette turned to look at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. Logan smiled and both he and James gave the blonde all their attention. Kendall suddenly got shy. He buried his head in Logan's shoulder.

"Someone's shy," James said. Logan glared at him and made a motion with his head to scram. But James wasn't easily deterred. He folded his arms across his chest and sat back. "If he has something to say, he can say it in front of both his friends." Kendall looked up in surprise at that. "Yes I'm officially your friend now. Might as well. Seems Logan has no thoughts about getting rid of you." Kendall smiled and gave a little nod. He looked back and forth between the two of them. He opened his mouth, closed it, and looked at them again. He took a deep breath.

"Th…thanks." He felt the air being crushed out of him. He couldn't help but smile again as Logan gave him a bear hug Godzilla would love. James was grinning ear to ear, and Logan had tears in his eyes.

"Kendall, you spoke to me," he breathed. "I can't believe you trust me enough to speak to me. And James too." Kendall nodded. It felt good to finally be able to trust someone. He only spoke to his dad if he threatened him. But Logan and James didn't threaten him. In fact, he felt really safe with them.

"Yes," he said slowly. He winced. His voice sounded a bit gratey. Logan held the hot chocolate cup to the blonde's lips so he could take a few sips. He felt a little better afterwards. "I've always been able to talk. It's just no one's bothered to let me speak. They prefer it when I don't." Logan held the blonde the whole time he was talking. Kendall enjoyed being fussed over by two people who truly did care for him.

…

_Aww Kendall finally spoke to Logan! He trusts him and James. Just a cute little fluffy chapter for all you Kogan lovers out there. _


	9. Chapter 9

_Okay everyone. Here is another chapter for all you devoted Kogan lovers._

…

"James, what do we do?" Logan asked the taller brunette. Kendall was safely curled up in Logan's bed, fast asleep. Talking to both of his new friends had tuckered him out, so Logan had carried him upstairs and tucked him in for a nap. While Kendall felt like he was intruding the brunette's personal space, his eyes began to close and he was out. Now Logan and James were sitting in the living room, deciding if they should do something to the Latino or not.

"Should we do anything?" James questioned. "After all if coach finds out I'm sure something will be done about it on its own." But Logan was shaking his head.

"You seriously think coach is going to punish them for torturing _Kendall? _Even coach can't stand him. Pretty much no teacher can." James nodded at that. He'd never actually seen a teacher that was nice to the blonde, which was too bad because once you really got to know him, he was like a sweet innocent little kid. James was actually warming up to him (though he'd never let Logan know that, he still wanted to have that air of I could care less if he stays). James cocked his head to the side.

"What do you propose we do?" he asked. "And you might want to hurry. I'd like to remind you we have a game today." Logan's eyes widened.

"I forgot about the game!" he cried, bolting upstairs. He came back leading a sleepy looking Kendall. "Not that I don't trust him here by himself, I do, but if my parents come home or God forbid his dad came by, well." Kendall came wide awake at the mention of his dad. He began to shake. Logan rubbed his back. "I'm just making a point Kendall. Want to go to a hockey game?" Kendall looked like he was thinking about it.

"Sure," he said with a shrug (he sure does a lot of shrugging, doesn't he?). "Will I get to watch you play?" Logan gave him a smile as he swept his hockey duffle off the floor by the front hall closet.

"You bet," he replied as he led Kendall to his car. "I'm not Sherwood's star goalie for nothing."

…

Kendall enjoyed watching Logan play. Nothing ever got passed him. He truly was the star goalie. The other players practically quaked in their skates as the approached Sherwood High's finest. And James was amazing on the ice. If he wasn't steeling the puck or blocking shots, he was skating up and down, rocketing of shots at super sonic speeds. The Sherwood High Hockey Team won 8-0. The crowd went nuts. As was custom after a home game victory, the people in the audience got to go out on the ice. The blonde himself got to go down (after getting up the courage to be with dozens of people).

"Well, well, well." Kendall turned around and found himself face to face with none other than Carlos. "Look who had the fucking balls to show up on the hockey teams turf." Kendall tried to back up away from him, but he ran right into Ben. He found himself surrounded.

"You know," Wayne-Wayne commented. "He seems a little unsteady on the ice." Which was true. He was a little wobbly on the ice. "Why don't we help him." Lightning fast, Ben swept his hockey stick under Kendall's feet and knocked him down. Kendall's head slammed against the ice, making a dull thud sound. He groaned. Ice was hard as well as it was cold. "He seems a bit hot," Wayne-Wayne added. "Help him cool off Ben." Ben, using his skate, planted his foot in Kendall's back and shoved him forward, face planting him into the ice. Laughter roared from the collected members of the team. Tears threatened to spill down Kendall's cheeks.

"Leave. Him. Alone." a voice from behind Carlos said. Every single head turned to find an enraged Logan. His normally tanned skin was actually a visible shade of red. He skated up to the blonde and stooped down next to him. "Kendall are you okay?" he asked as he helped the blonde to his feet. Kendall pulled away from Logan, shaking. "Kendall?" Logan asked, his eyes watering. "Kendall it's just me." Kendall backed away, into James.

"Kendall, what's wrong?" he asked, concern in his eyes. Kendall looked at him then at the members who tortured him. "Guys," James said evenly. "Were you torturing Kendall?" Most of the team began to examine their skates. Only Carlos was defiant.

"So what if we have?" he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why would you even defend this perv?" Now Logan was beyond mad.

"You know what Carlos," he said, shoving himself right in his face. "You have no right to talk. I bet you've never even told these guys. At least I can own up to my own rep." Carlos was making slashing motions across his throat. James took the bait.

"You mean you've never told them?" James asked, staring at the team. Now they had all of the members, and Kendall's attention. "You've never mentioned to your own team that you're gay." Now every head turned to Carlos.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ben exploded. "You mean to tell me you're on their side! You're a fucking perv too!" Carlos was shaking his head.

"Boys, boys, boys," he said calmly. "It was purely experimental. I honestly felt nothing towards boys." Logan jerked back like he'd been slapped in the face. James glared enough daggers at Carlos to make a professional chef jealous. Logan shoved passed the members into the locker room, tears in his eyes.

"Now you've gone and done it you bastard," James growled at Carlos. "He actually cared for you, you know." James whispered that part so the other boys wouldn't hear. "You're such a fuck head sometimes. Then again all fuck heads hang together. Come on Kendall, let's go get Logan." James shoved a path through Ben and another member and headed after Logan, with Kendall right on his heels.

…

"He didn't deserve you anyway." All three boys were back at Logan's house. Logan hadn't even bothered to change out of his uniform. He just changed his skates and ran out to his car and sped away. James rode with Kendall to his house, where they found him curled up on his bed. "He's such a bastard. I don't know what you saw in him when you said yes. I like Kendall a lot better." Kendall smiled and moved over to sit beside Logan. He didn't need to say anything. Just his presence calmed Logan down.

"You're right, you're right," he sighed, sitting up. Kendall hugged him, then turned to James. He still preferred not to talk, so with his hand, he made a motion for James to turn around. James sighed and turned away from the couple. Kendall pulled Logan close and gave him a kiss. Unknown to the boys, James had turned back to watch. He smiled at their small display of affection. It was about time they'd kiss anyway. It was long overdue. Logan smiled while he kissed Kendall. This was certainly making him feel better. And Kendall was the first one to move in for the kiss. It was unfortunate at that moment Kendall's dad happened to let himself in.

"Kendall!" he boomed. Kendall jerked back away from Logan, eyes widening. Logan's eyes, on the other hand, narrowed. So this was Kendall's dad. This was who inflicted physical and emotional wounds on his precious Kendall. "You come home right now young man," his dad said evenly, grabbing his wrist in his usual vise-like grip. Kendall cried out as he was dragged up off Logan's bed to his feet. Logan clenched his hands as Kendall's dad dragged him out the door.

…

"So that was your new boyfriend huh? What a handsome face he has." Kendall trembled at the statement. He had a feeling his dad wasn't saying it honestly. "It would be a shame if his handsome face met my shiny friend." He waved his pocketknife in front of Kendall's face. "Or perhaps I should use it on your pretty face first." He grabbed a fistful of Kendall's shirt and pulled him close so they were face to face. Kendall cried out. "This could all be over you know," he said tossing Kendall aside. "All you got to do is talk and get yourself a girlfriend. Oh wait a minute. You're a fucking mute kid who's as gay as I am straight."

"Dad…" Kendall began. Kendall's dad turned to him with an evil grin.

"Oh Kendall," he said in a dream-like voice. Kendall was pretty sure he wasn't dreaming. "Go to your room. I don't want to see you face anymore." He shoved the blonde back into his tiny room. Kendall collapsed onto his bed, silently sobbing into his pillow. He wished he were back at Logan's house.

…

"James, that guy makes me sick," Logan said to the brunette shortly after Kendall's dad hauled him back to his house. "He should get put away for child abuse." James nodded. He had to agree, but at the same time, they guy kind of scared him.

"He is his dad Logan," James finally said, just for the sake of saying something. "And besides, no one would believe you. He's an adult. You've yet to turn eighteen, so in the eyes of the public, your still a kid too." Logan punched his pillow. He hated stupid rules like that.

"James I just can't stand to know Kendall's with that monster. I want him here, with me, in my room." James nodded again. He knew that, especially after their first kiss. "His dad's just going to make him retreat into his shell again. I don't want him to be timid around me again. I was just starting to get him to open up."

"I know Logan," James snapped. "Do you think I want him in his dad's evil clutches. He grabbed his car keys, threw the smaller brunette over his shoulder, and marched out to his car. "Let's go get him," he said, shoving the smaller boy into the back seat and hopping into the drivers seat. He sped off to Kendall's house. They parked right in front, and Logan snuck up to Kendall's window. He tapped lightly, alerting the half-asleep blonde. He stumbled to the window and opened it. Logan reached in and helped him climb out and down. Together, they ran to James' car. "Hey Blondie," James said with a grin.

"Hey James," Kendall responded, shooting a glance over his shoulder. "We going back to Logan's?" James nodded and pulled away. Kendall settled against the seat and leaned his head on Logan's shoulder. A day of being terrified can make a guy really tired. He closed his eyes, and Logan began playing with his hair. He sighed contentedly and settled into a light sleep. Logan smiled, leaned down, and kissed his forehead.

"You're very gentle with him, aren't you?" Logan looked up to see James' curious gaze in the mirror. "Is it because he's already had enough bad in his life? Or is it because you don't want to give him any more wounds to worry about." Logan hadn't really thought about it. But it was a combination of both. Not only did he not want to hurt the blonde, he realized he needed something good in his life. And if that came in the form of a boyfriend, so be it. He deserved someone special. He was a good kid. He had to wonder why he was mute in the first place though.

…

_Okay so there you go._


	10. Chapter 10

_Okay everybody. You ready for chapter ten? Of course you are! Enjoy!_

…

Logan was happy to feel Kendall's warm body curled up against his cold one. After his dad dragged him back home, he and James found the blonde worse for wear. He refused to talk to them once they got back to Logan's house. Logan was okay with that. He didn't want to push the blonde into doing something he didn't want to do. Instead he and Kendall curled up together to fall asleep. James took Logan's computer chair for himself (seems they've had a lot of sleepovers in the past week or so. Oh well, Logan's parents never noticed, and if they did, they never said anything). Logan discovered James could fall asleep anywhere, in any position. He marveled at how the taller brunette did it.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he lazily opened his eye. It was early morning Thursday, and he didn't want to get up yet. He stared into Kendall's pleading green eyes, and opened his other eye. He pulled the blonde into an embrace and waited for him to calm down a bit (he'd been shaking).

"Did you have a nightmare Kendall?" he asked quietly. Apparently even his quiet was still loud, because James sat upright and looked at them questioningly. Kendall only nodded, tears in his eyes. He'd been thinking about, well about the camp. He hated having nightmares about it. He hadn't had one in awhile. He'd kind of hoped they'd disappear all together. Though now there was no such luck.

…

_It must have been hours after his dad dropped him off. He couldn't remember what happened after the shot. All he knew was he woke up in a pristine white uniform (the staple for this facility) and an equally pristine white bed and a pristine white room. Everything in this place lacked color. He hated it already. As an artist, he loved the colors of life. White was just too bright and too…white._

_ "I see you're awake." Kendall jerked back in surprise when he caught sight of the nurse he made him take a shot against his will. He absolutely hated needles (ever since his dad stabbed him with one shortly before he came here). "And to answer your comment from earlier, it isn't to make you change your sexual preferences." Kendall cocked his head to the side, wondering what the catch was. _

"_It's just supposed to knock you out while we run a few…tests." Kendall shivered. _

_ "What kind of tests?" he asked quietly. He was afraid of the answer. He almost didn't want to know. Almost._

_ 'Tests of your unconscious and subconscious mind. We have this thing called a projector. No not a school one. This one's a little more advanced. It projects images into your sleepy little brain, and we have you all hooked up to test your reactions. Kendall shivered again. "And sugar, in society, you would have failed big time. Not only did your body react only to male figures (blushing Kendall) but you also reacted strangely when one particular person came up. It seems you have an unnatural interest in him." Kendall gave her a questioning look._

_ "It never seemed unnatural to me," he challenged. A dark light in her eyes made him shut his mouth before he could say anything else. _

_ "It's unnatural alright. And sick too." Kendall's eyes watered a bit. Wasn't the job of these people here to help you and be nice to you? What kind of show did they run here anyway? Everything seemed too…calm. He looked around again and stared at his too white room. This white was suffocating him. On cue, he began to gasp for air. He was hyperventilating. He needed fresh air, fast. The nurse must have sensed that because she hauled him too his feet and led him to the hall. But it wasn't any better there, because the walls, the ceiling, the doors, they were all…white. He hated white, hated it hated it hated it. _

_ "No!" he wailed, throwing himself onto the floor. "No white! No!"_

…

Logan held the blonde until he drifted off to sleep again. It didn't take all that long. He was exhausted after shaking after he woke up. James moved silently in the dark and covered them both with a thin red blanket, one that would keep the blonde warm but wouldn't make him overheat, so if he had another nightmare he wouldn't wake up sweating on top of things. He'd tried a white one originally, but Kendall's eyes widened and he began to thrash. It took both Logan and James to hold him down to keep him from hurting himself.

"Is he asleep?" James whispered so he wouldn't rouse the blonde. While they were all tired, only the blonde was the one that slept. The two brunettes were wide-awake right now. Logan had called the school and told them all three boys were home sick with a stomach virus. They were going to spend the day relaxing, and taking turns keeping the blonde calm. If he had another nightmare, the boy on duty was to alert the other one, and they would both help him calm down. Since he didn't want to talk to them, they couldn't get him to spill on what the nightmare was about. "I'll watch him now. It's my turn anyway." The taller brunette said, as Logan gingerly pulled himself away from the blonde. He got up and stretched his arms over his head.

"I'm going to go whip us up something to ear," he replied as he walked out of the room. "If he wakes up, call," he added over his shoulder. James nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. While he wanted Kendall to be comfortable, snuggling wasn't his style. He just sat on the bed and provided an air of calm for the blonde.

Down in the kitchen, Logan was examining the contents of the fridge for a suitable breakfast. He pulled out a carton of eggs, some milk and orange juice, and three different kinds of berries. He washed the berries and mixed them together in a big bowl in a kind of last minute fruit salad. He warmed up the stove and cracked two eggs into a pan. He kept his eye on them while he poured two glasses of OJ. He slid the eggs onto two plates, picked up the bowl and glasses, and carried them back upstairs to his room using an insane balancing act.

"Hot and ready breakfast," he whispered. Then he noticed he didn't have to. Kendall was leaning against the headboard. Both eyes were open. "Hey there sleepyhead," he cooed, handing James his breakfast. "How'd you sleep?" Kendall shrugged, grabbed his notebook, and scribbled something.

_Okay,_ he had written. _It was strange to find you gone and James in your place instead. _Logan smiled at that. While James would never admit it, Logan thought he was secretly fond of the younger blonde male. He would never call him out on it though. Kendall could use all the friends he could get.

"Are you hungry?" he asked as he sat down. Kendall nodded and Logan set the plate with the egg on it in his lap. Kendall began cutting it into smaller pieces and eating them one at a time. James slurped at his orange juice, making Logan roll his eyes. Kendall giggled with a mouth full of egg. That made Logan smile again. The blonde's giggle was adorable. Logan picked at his makeshift fruit salad, eating only a couple of bites. Kendall kept stealing glances at it, so Logan and James shared a look. Together, they poured a portion of theirs onto his plate for him to enjoy. He smiled at them both and dug in.

"Great breakfast," James said as he leaned back against the wall. "And it's only…eleven thirty." Logan groaned. Now they'd all end up having a late lunch. Well he would anyway. James could eat enough food to give Bigfoot a stomachache. He never seemed to get full. Logan had to wonder if he had a hollow leg or something.

"Don't get to comfortable," he warned. He shot a glance at Kendall and leaned close to James to whisper in his ear. "I have a feeling that by now Kendall's dad has noticed he's gone. And if I was his psychopathic dad, I'd be pissed." James jerked back.

"You don't think he'd come here again, do you?" he asked, shooting a look at Kendall. Logan shrugged. Kendall, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to the fact the brunettes were talking about him behind his back. Logan stood up, took the breakfast dishes, and headed to the kitchen again. James followed, pulling Kendall along. "Should we remain here?" he asked. Logan shook his head, but he didn't know where else to go.

"I know somewhere he won't find us," Kendall spoke up.

…

"Perfect," Jett whispered to the collected team. "With both James and Logan gone we can plan what were going to do to get back at them for making such a ludacris comment about our captain." Carlos barely heard him. All he could think about was Logan's expression, and James' comments afterwards. So Logan had truly cared for him. But he showed no kindness to the brunette back after the breakup. The details were still a little fuzzy to him (he was sure Logan had his reasons, but he wouldn't say them). True to his word, however, he was going to get back at the blonde for stealing all the attention of their best goalie.

"What should we do this time?" Ben asked. Pretty much everyone was out of ideas. They'd tried everything.

"You know," Carlos piped up, getting the attention of every team member in an instant. "You want to get to both Logan and James at the same time? The answer's obvious. Hurt the blonde."

…

_Ooooooh. What are they going to do to poor Kendall? Stay tuned and find out!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter eleven everybody! Enjoy! And what do you think. Is Carlos starting to have a change of heart? Guess you'll seeeeeee!_

…

"Diabolical," Jett said, throwing Carlos an evil grin. "Way to show them queers what the hockey team is really about!" The team gave a massive cheer, rattling the walls of the locker room. All the while, Carlos had mixed feelings about the whole thing. As soon as he set it, he regretted it. He'd mulled over what James had said, and it still rotted away at him. He had to know what was going through Logan's head the moment he ended it between them. He had secretly liked the brunette for a long time, but he did still like the female population as well. So he was bi, sue him. Like he told the team, dating Logan had been an experiment. He had yet to determine if he passed or failed the test.

"I'm heading out," he said to anyone who was listening. He grabbed his hockey duffle, shouldered the door open, and headed out into the lunchroom. The whole team had been excused for the day to practice, so no one noticed Carlos as he walked out the door. He found his black car sitting exactly where he left it, parked in front of the school (the team was just that cool, they didn't have to follow the normal rules). He threw his hockey duffle onto the back seat, climbed in behind the wheel, and sat there for a little while, gripping the leather bound steering wheel. This particular car was a gift from his parents for doing well at the state hockey tournament. He looked down at the seat beside him, reached under it, and pulled out his rumpled picture of Logan. He smoothed it out and examined it. Abruptly, he shoved it away and threw the car into gear, squealing the tires as he left the parking lot.

He found himself outside of Logan's home a few minutes later. Last time he checked, it took him a little longer to reach the brunette's house than that. He must have been speeding. He had an internal battle with himself, finally deciding to just wait in the car and see if anyone noticed he was outside. After several minutes, no one came out, not even Kendall. Carlos slowly got out and made his way up the steps. He rapped on the door lightly, waiting patiently for someone to open the door. What he didn't know was no one was home. The blonde, and both brunettes, were already long gone.

…

"This place is fantastic!" Logan exclaimed as Kendall led them to a small cabin deep in the forest. He found it during his nights spent there, it seemed like the perfect place to get away and not be bothered. James nodded his agreement, and both brunettes climbed out of the car. Kendall followed suit. He loved being away from the hustle and bustle that came, even in a small town, in a city like Sherwood. This cabin was not only out of the way, but Logan had almost driven right passed it, it was so sheltered by tree branches and undergrowth. Kendall smiled and nodded. He loved the run down looking cabin, with all its…hominess. It looked well used on the outside, if not a little abandoned (which is what they were aiming for). Logan led Kendall over to the cabin and pushed on the almost hidden pine door (he knew it was pine by the smell), but it wouldn't budge. He put his shoulder against it and shoved. It opened with a loud POP! and Logan tumbled inside. Kendall's shoulder's shook in a silent laugh. James' laugh was a little more audible. Logan felt his cheeks flare up as he peeled himself off the carpeted floor. The cabin was small, but quite cozy looking. James moved passed him and studied the small looking one room house.

"Definitely not the worst place I've stayed," he commented as he made himself comfortable on the couch. Logan rolled his eyes. James was James everywhere, not just in the city, apparently. Kendall moved and sat on the bed, causing a cloud of dust to rise. The blonde coughed and moved beside the brunette, waving his hand in front of his face. Logan shielded him from the rest of the dust as he patted the blonde's back. Kendall finally stood up fully and gave the brunette a lopsided grin.

"That was definitely something," Logan agreed to Kendall's look. Kendall, again, shook with laughter. Logan shook his head. Kendall had said nothing to them after mentioning this place. _Baby steps_, Logan thought. _Baby steps. _Kendall moved and sat in one of the wooden tables cushioned wooden chairs. Logan watched him with only his eyes. He dearly loved the blonde and was excited by the fact Kendall was now trusting him with not only his past, but very well his life. If his dad ever found him here…well it wouldn't be pretty. Logan shook that thought off. He didn't want to think about that right now. Right now, it was time for a little peace and quiet.

…

Carlos was frantic. He was trying to track down Logan, James, or even Kendall at this point. He knew if he could get the location of one, the other two wouldn't be far behind. He had driven around for almost three hours, with no leads and still no clue what had become of the three boys. Maybe the team got to them first… No. That wasn't it. Carlos was going to lead the "hunt" as they liked to call it. At first it seemed like a good idea, as it was mostly out of pure revenge promised to Logan and hatred brought on by Kendall's lack of speech, but now he was having slight second thoughts.

"Where the fuck are they?" he said, pounding the steering wheel of his car. He accidently hit the horn, startling him by making it honk. He rested his head against his headrest, closing his eyes and thinking. Where was the least likely place they might be? His eyes flew open. His old family cabin! (Yes, the very cabin they are in now). It was located in deep in Sherwood Forest, away from civilization. It was a little out of the way, but it was also unlikely that anyone would be there. Perfect. He slipped the car into drive, and sped away.

…

"Logan I think I hear something," James said in a worried tone. Logan peeked around the curtain they made to shield the bed. Kendall was curled up on his side, facing Logan, chest moving up and down rhythmically. He smiled and pulled the curtain closed. They'd made it out of an extra blanket. It provided anyone on the bed a little precious privacy. He tilted his head to the side and listened carefully. It sounded vaguely like a car engine. But that was impossible. Neither James nor his parents cared if they disappeared for a couple of weeks. If they even noticed, they wouldn't care. Logan's parents basically ignored him, and James' mom didn't really care for her son anyway.

"It sounds like a car," Logan replied slowly. The sound got louder, distinguishing it as a car motor. And not just any car motor, Carlos' car motor! "Crap!" Logan exploded. He yanked the bed curtain aside and scooped Kendall up before he could fully wake up. "Out the back door, go!" he ordered, shoving James out of the back door and closing it softly behind him. He watched through the tiny back door window as Carlos let himself in. He watched the Latino look around the cabin, then look right at the door.

"Logan!" he called. "I know you're there. Come in." Logan slowly opened the door (which he thought was idiotic), and clutched Kendall tighter to his chest. James came in and stood beside the brunette, a look of pure fury on his face.

"How dare you show your fucking face here bastard," he spat. Carlos backed up a pace and had the grace to look hurt. Logan studied him closely. "Get out now! We do not need you hockey fuddy-duddies ruining this for both Logan and me." Carlos looked back and forth from Logan to James back to Logan.

"I've come to warn you," he said quietly. "I've done something awful." James threw his hands in the air as if to say _State the obvious_, but let the Latino continue. "I told the team it was okay to physically harm Kendall." Logan burst into tears and hugged Kendall as tightly as he could without hurting him.

"How dare you!" he screamed at the Latino. "How dare you say such a thing! Have you ever wondered why he doesn't talk? Has it ever come to you that he's suffered more abuse in a matter of months than most people have in their entire lifespan? Take a good look Carlos." Logan pulled up the blonde's sleeves, revealing his ugly scars. Carlos gasped at the sight of them (Kendall is still sleeping, by the way). "That's what bastards like you do to him. You're just one of these scars. Do you know how I know? I've seen it happen with my own eyes." Carlos diverted his eyes at that. He couldn't believe it. All this time, this blonde mute boy has been having his own silent struggle.

"Get out Carlos," James whispered with as mush venom as he could. "You should do the smart thing and just leave. Not only have you caused Kendall physical pain, you've caused Logan emotional pain." Before Carlos could say anything, James marched him out the door, kicked him down the porch steps and locked the door. He turned to the blonde and the brunette hugging on the dusty bed. He felt his heart breaking for the two boys. Both were about to enter a whole new world of hurt. If it wasn't the hockey team who found them, it would certainly be Kendall's dad.

…

"Do you think we should go ahead and do what we plan to do without Carlos?" Jett asked as the rest of the team became impatient. They'd been waiting for Carlos to return, but they were getting tired of waiting. They needed action, and they needed it now.

"Yes," Wayne-Wayne said. "In the long run, this whole thing is about not only hurting the blonde kid, whatever the fuck is name is, but destroying Logan and James too." He spread out the diagram of the "trap" they had planned for the blonde. "So we all agree the last part of it is the hanging."

Nods all around.

…

_This is it everybody. The last straw for the team. And what do you think about Carlos trying to warn Logan and James. Is truly changing? Or is he leading them on for the worst that's yet to come?_


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter tweeeeeeeeelllllvvvvveeee! I'm so happy with this story_

…

_"White!" Kendall wailed as the nurse attempted to drag him back to his room. "No More white! No more white!" White was becoming the bane of his existence. He hated the color now more than every. He associated it with this "facility", when in reality it was more like prison with a hint of insane asylum. They definitely never heard of tender love and care here._

_ "Shut up!" the nurse snapped at him as she threw him into his room. "Shut up and sit there." He glanced at his bed, then the lonely white chair (yes white again). "Chair!" she practically screamed, making him flinch. He immediately plopped down in the chair, cowering from her intense gaze. "I'll be back with your noon meal, shots, and a little video." She curled her lips into a smile, and Kendall felt a shiver from the base of his neck to the base of his spine. The way she said it made him wonder what kind of video it was. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good._

_ "Please," he whispered, shivering as she closed the door. "No more shots. No more 'helping'. No more white." He pulled his legs up to his chest and rocked back and forth on the chair._

…

Kendall forced himself awake, and he finally managed to wake up fully. Though he did thrash around in his half-sleep state. He didn't feel the comfortable and now familiar heat of Logan's body next to his, and he had a moments panic. He then saw James only feet from him, looking at him with concern. At least he wasn't alone after all. That was one of his biggest fears right now. Being abandoned by Logan or James (even though that would never happen; you'd have to pry their cold, dead bodies from him first).

"Hey Kendall," he said softly. "Nice to see your up. Logan went to the store to get stuff to sustain us for a couple of days. We're going to hide out here for a couple of days, kay?" Kendall nodded his understanding and leaned against the headboard. James had pulled the curtain back so he could keep an eye on the blonde. He studied Kendall like he was a fascinating science experiment. Something about him made James both sad and mad at the same time. Sad because of Kendall's horrible life, and mad because of the people who made his life miserable.

Kendall, in turn, studied James. He'd never really been alone with the tall brunette. Logan had always been close by. But now he had some down time with the brunette, though he didn't know what to say to him. He studied his hands, wringing them nervously. He was incredibly shy, even if he somewhat knew the person. James was a person he somewhat knew, but wasn't sure if he could fully trust. James got up, and Kendall used his eyes to follow him across the room. He opened up a cabinet, causing a little puff of dust to blow out. He coughed and spat into the sink. Kendall covered his mouth to hide a smile. That was pretty funny. He reached in and found a clear glass; at least Kendall thought it had once been clear. Right now it was coated in a think layer of dust. James methodically rinsed it in the sink, filled it with water, and carried it to the blonde. Keeping his distance, he set it on the small nightstand next to the bed and backed up a couple of steps. Kendall nodded and took the glass. He took a sip, and though the water was warm and tasted like rust, it soothed his parched throat.

"Thanks James," he croaked out, winced, then took another sip. James smiled.

"You're welcome Kendall," he said, just as Logan let himself in. All of Kendall's attention was now focused on Logan. The smaller brunette grinned at him and set the bags of groceries on the cabin counter. Kendall moved to get up, and James mentally shot warning bells at Logan. Neither of them wanted him to move much/. He sapped all his strength while he slept, thrashing around because of his nightmares. Logan sensed what was going on (thank goodness) and turned around.

"Kendall," he warned, a smile tugging on his lips. "You have to stay in bed, okay sweetie? You use all of your strength while you sleep." He came over to the bed and gently pushed on the blonde's shoulders until he was lying back down. Kendall whimpered a protest, and Logan sighed. "Kendall," he said, leaned down to meet the blonde's eyes. "Can you lay here for a little while longer while you get your strength back? James can keep giving you water, and I got some eggs since you seem to like them. I'll cook you dinner." Kendall couldn't help but smile. Logan leaned down, brushed a kiss against Kendall's cheek, and turned to the kitchen.

"Can I help in any way?" Kendall asked, causing both boys to look at him. He'd been relatively quiet since arriving, so they were both shocked when he spoke up. Logan shook his head, and Kendall shrugged. He'd tried.

…

"Carlos. Glad to see you'd show your pretty face here," Jett sneered. The rest of the team chorused agreements. Carlos frowned. He'd almost forget the little plan the team had. He'd been a little…preoccupied. Getting to his family's cabin, then driving around aimlessly after his confrontation with James and Logan. And Kendall.

"Guys, I don't know about this," he said slowly. He suddenly had everyone's attention. Since he was the one who suggested it, they were shocked his was trying to back out of it. "Kendall has these cuts on his arm; his own way of dealing with the pain we cause him. We're just long not-so-forgotten scars." Jett and Wayne-Wayne got themselves in his face.

"What the fuck, Carlos," they chanted in unison. "Doing this to the stupid blonde was YOUR idea. And who cares about his stupid scars? He deserves them! And as for Logan, we've come to a decision." Carlos' eyes widened. Logan? What were they going to do to Logan? "Let's just say, our so called hockey captain won't know what hit him." Wayne-Wayne gave Carlos an evil grin. "And we'll do it with or without you. Now move out of the way." Wayne-Wayne slammed his weight into Carlos, catching him off guard and throwing him off his feet. Carlos' head slammed against the ground with a sickening _crack_. He groaned and rolled onto his side, waiting for the stars to stop dancing in front of his eyes. By the time his vision cleared, the team was long gone.

…

"Aren't you worried?" James whispered to Logan at dinner. "Either the hockey team or Kendall's dad will find us eventually. It's not like we can hide from them forever." The thought had indeed crossed Logan's mind, but he tried to hide his concerns from Kendall. Right now, the blonde was the happiest he'd been all week. He'd been chitchatting with the two brunettes all night. Logan didn't want to ruin his mood.

"Of course I am," Logan hissed to the taller brunette. "But I don't want to upset Kendall." James nodded. He didn't want to upset the blonde either. Right now they had him sitting in front of the TV, watching some show they couldn't remember the name of. But he seemed to be enjoying it. From time to time they heard him laugh or clap. He was really enjoying himself at the moment. Logan finished his eggs (a staple part of their diet at the moment) and set his plate in the sink. He chugged the Pepsi he'd been sipping through the meal and tossed the can into the trash. He turned to the living area (not really a room). "Hey Kendall, wanna help me do dishes?" Kendall came scampering into the kitchen.

"Yes!" he said, running to the sink. James smiled and got up from the table.

"I'm going out for some fresh air," he announced, throwing open the door. "Have fun you two." Logan blushed and turned to the sink. Kendall gave him a questioning look. The brunette handed him a dishtowel. He began scrubbing the dishes they had with a scrub brush. He then proceeded to hand the dishes to Kendall to dry off and put away. They worked fast and efficiently. Kendall was putting away the last plate when James burst in.

"I saw headlights," he gasped. "Carlos' black truck. That bastard sold out our hiding place to the hockey team!" Kendall cried out and shrank back. Logan swore under his breath.

"Dim the lights!" he practically shouted. "We can't let them know we're here!"

…

_Sorry it's so short everyone. Hope you like it all the same._


	13. Chapter 13

_Okay everyone. Ready…set…chapter 13!_

_FYI-I picked a totally random name, so this isn't an actually character from the show. You'll see._

…

"Fuck," Carlos swore when he saw no lights on at the house. They must have vacated the premises when he showed up unannounced on the porch (yes, the cabin had a tiny porch). "Why does this need to be so fucking hard? Can't they just see I'm trying to help them?" He knew all three had their insecurities about him being around. Kendall especially. What James said stuck with the raven-haired Latino. He was nothing but a scar on the damaged boy's wrist. He had a feeling his was also a scar on Logan's heart, though he'd never admit it with Kendall around.

"Logan I'm sorry!" he screamed. "I'm sorry for what I did! I'm sorry for everything! I won't hurt Kendall, or you, ever again!" After that he just screamed a long, wordless scream, letting out all his pent up frustrations and hurt. He screamed until his throat felt like it was on fire and he was forced to stop. When he stopped screaming he began sobbing; something that ran through his entire body, and in turn shook the truck. He hit the horn over and over, trying to drown out the sounds of his own sorrow.

Finally he couldn't take the sobbing anymore, and as abruptly as he started he stopped and sat in silence. The only sound came from the low drum of the truck's engine, purring comfort to him. Or at least trying. Right now, nothing could make him happy. Remembering what he did to Logan brought back painful memories. And he was reminded of one very important fact; being unfaithful never pays off.

….

_He thought of Logan, even as he made his way up the new boy's steps. Logan hadn't been very fulfilling lately. He craved something Logan couldn't give him. It started with an s, and frankly Logan didn't want to do it. He took a deep breath, unsure if he wanted to do this. But before he could psych himself out, he rang the doorbell. Someone approached the door slowly, and it opened a crack._

_ "Carlos!" Scott exclaimed, throwing open the door fully. "Come in, come in." Hesitantly, Carlos stepped into the wide-open space that was Scott's living room. Carlos whistled. The ceiling must have been twenty feet above his head. White furniture, including a love seat and plush rocking chair, were littered around the room. Mahogany end tables and one massive oak bookshelf took up one wall. This guy was seriously loaded. "I see you like the place," Scott said with a grin, raising perfectly waxed almost translucent eyebrows. He really was gorgeous. He had a sweep of strawberry blonde hair, sparkling sea blue eyes, and chiseled abs. Carlos couldn't keep his eyes off of him. _

_ "God you're hot," Carlos said before he could stop himself. He then turned a darker shade of his already dark skin. Scott laughed, and the sound filled Carlos with a warmth he didn't feel when Logan was around. Scott leaned down, and before the Latino could guess what was going on, they were pressed together in a lip-lock. Carlos felt raw passion in Scott's kiss, and he wanted to return it so bad. Scott's tongue gently probed Carlos' lips, parting them so he could enter. The Latino was in bliss._

_ "Carlos?" The Latino hoped it was only a voice in his head, but when he turned around, his heart plummeted through the floor. Logan stood behind them, body ridged and tight, hurt openly worn on his face. Tears were pooling in the corners of his eyes and were already starting to cause streaks on his cheeks. "Carlos, why?" he asked, his voice choked. "I wasn't enough for you? Good to know." He turned away from the two boys. "Oh, by the way. Your mom told me you were coming over here. Sorry I bothered to try an surprise you on our anniversary." _

_ "Shit," Carlos hissed. "Logie, I can explain." Logan didn't bother to stick around. He ran out, slamming the door behind him._

…

"I think the truck is gone," James whispered. Logan heard the creak of the floorboards, and moonlight filled the suddenly open doorway. James' silhouette filled the space of the doorway. "Yep," he said. "Coast's clear." He flipped the light switch to on, flooding the room in bright yellow light. Kendall blinked rapidly, eyes watering from the sudden assault of light. Logan shielded him until he stopped, then moved away. Kendall looked up at them both.

"Was it Carlos' truck I was in? When they tied me up and left me in the woods to rot?" Logan looked at the blonde with mild surprise. He didn't know Kendal was capable of speaking with venom, but he just did. "Black truck?" he questioned, literally prodding Logan's side. Logan looked at James.

"I'm gonna say yeah, that was the truck," he said. "He's the only hockey player with a black truck. That I know of I guess." Kendall nodded. He took this news with a calm he never knew he had. His calm demeanor surprised both the brunettes. He took this all in stride. "Well, now that we're out of the woods, so to speak, what should we do?" James asked to break the tension. Kendall yawned in response. "Seems like someone's tired," James said softly to Logan. "He has had a long day after all." Logan nodded and helped the blonde to his feet (he'd been hiding under the table).

"Come on Ken-Ken," he crooned softly. "Bed time." He hopped into bed with the blonde, and in response the blonde tucked himself neatly against the brunette's chest.

"Kay ground rules while we're hiding out," James piped up, causing both boys to look at him. "If you decide to do it, no loud noises. Condoms I stuck in the drawer by the bed, so use them, they're there. And under no circumstances am I to be woken to naked boys breaking a bed." Kendall blushed and Logan rolled his eyes. "Night you two," James said with a wink, closing the curtain that allowed the two boys privacy. Logan wrapped his arms protectively around the blonde. Kendall sighed, but showed no signs he was ready to sleep.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Logan asked, rubbing tiny circles onto the blonde's back. Instead of answering, he buried his head in the brunette's chest. "James!" Logan called softly. "Come here please." James opened the curtain. "I don't think Kendall's ready to sleep yet." James sat on the opposite side of Kendall, keeping watch over the two boys. Kendall began to shake slightly, not so noticeable at first, but then a little more violently. "Kendall!" Logan exclaimed, hugging him tightly to his chest. "Baby, what's wrong?" he asked again, rocking him gently.

"I think he's had too much excitement for the day," James said, grabbing his keys. "Why don't we all go for a nice moonlight drive? It should help soothe him to sleep." He whispered that last part to the smaller brunette. Logan nodded and stood up, cradling Kendall. He carried him outside and climbed into the back seat with him. James slid into the drivers seat and revved the engine, causing the blonde to jump. With a wild whoop James sped down the gravel driveway.

"Nice moonlight drive!" Logan shouted. "More like startle the poor boy." But Kendall seemed to be enjoying himself. He smiled and laughed right along with James. Shortly after they hit the road, his expression turned serious and he turned to look at Logan.

"Logie?" he said timidly, tasting the word on his lips. Logan smiled and nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Can you tell me what happened between you and Carlos? I sense friction." The brunette's smile faded and he sat back. Kendall rested his head on his shoulder and looked up at him. Logan stared into his pleading bottle-green eyes, and crumbled like an old brick wall.

"Okay," he said, nuzzling the nape of Kendall's neck. The blonde giggled. "It was before I knew you. What Carlos said about an experiment, well that part was true. I'm pretty sure he's bi. At any rate, I went to surprise him on our anniversary, and found him making out with a different guy." Logan stared out the window, trying hard to mask the underlying hurt in his voice. Kendall wasn't dumb though. He picked up on it. And on a very turned around position, began rubbing reassuring circled on the back of Logan's hand. The brunette smiled and placed a kiss on the blonde's cheek, then gently bit his earlobe, hoping he didn't step over any boundaries. Kendall moaned softly, but apparently James had supersonic hearing.

"Hey!" he snapped. "None of that in my car." Kendall squeaked and shrank back from James' stinging voice. No matter how far he went, his fears were pretty deep seeded. "Ah, sorry Kendall," James said meekly. "I didn't mean to be snippety. Can you and Logan not do anything…sexual…in my car."? Kendall felt laughter bubbling in his chest as he nodded. Logan pulled the blonde close and they just enjoyed the feeling of being in each other's arms.

…

"I knew it!" Jett exclaimed as the team watched James' car sped down the road. "Following stupid Carlos worked out. We found all three of them."

"It's only the faggot blonde and our so-called captain we want," Wayne-Wayne reminded him. "Ben went to scout out their hiding place. Though I have a feeling I know where they are. Carlos' old family cabin is this way. I'm guessing that's where they've found themselves."

"Excellent," Jett said, licking his lips in anticipation. "Carlos has no idea he led us out here?"

"Nope," Wayne-Wayne agreed. "Ben made sure to stay well enough behind him, so he didn't see the dark green car." Jett nodded approvingly. Ben was the teams' expert sneak. It was no wonder they'd picked him to be the driver. "So it's all settled then," Wayne-Wayne commented. "We lay in wait, and when they get back, oh boy!"

…

"Shhhh, he's asleep," Logan whispered. Kendall had finally drifted off to sleep, with a smile on his face. James nodded his understanding and turned the car back toward the house. "Say, why don't we go to your house for the night," Logan said, having a flash of brilliance. "Kendall might as well get used to different surroundings." James thought about it for a little bit.

"Alright," he agreed at last. "I don't think mom would have too much of a problem with it." Kendall stirred a little and James looked in the rearview mirror. "Logan, your um scars are showing." Logan tugged his sleeve down as Kendall opened his eyes fully.

"Hey baby," he cooed. "Wanna go spend the night at James' place. I don't think your dad will look there." Kendall nodded and settled back against the brunette's chest, closing his eyes. Logan kissed his forehead and settled back against the seat. He had no idea how right his choice to take Kendall away from the little secluded cabin really was.

…

_Well everyone, what do you think? And that's the real truth behind Logan and Carlos' break up. And what did you think of Kendall comforting Logan?_


	14. Chapter 14

_Hey BTR fanfic fans. Gonna update everything for you. So keep your eyes peeled!_

…

"Shit," Jett swore softly. It was well after three in the morning, and no one had returned home. "I thought you said they'd be back!" he hissed at Ben. Cowering, Ben only shrugged. He had no idea where they ended up, and frankly he didn't care. Jett was still the only one (aside from Wayne-Wayne) who actually wanted to put their gruesome plan into action.

"Dude," he began hesitantly. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea. We've been in this crappy cabin for hours with no results, and lets face it, what we're planning to do could get us thrown in jail until we decompose." Jett pushed himself right into Ben's face, causing him to backpedal. He bumped into the table and sat down hard on it.

"I don't care!" he cried, worked up now. "We need to teach that blonde faggot and our so-called captain a lesson. No one who is on this team can be gay and get away with it!"

…

Carlos wasn't sure how long he'd been driving around, but he didn't care. He didn't want to go anywhere specific, nor did he want to go back to the cabin and apologize for his crappy behavior. He knew he'd been the worst person since maybe Jack the Ripper, but how was he supposed to say sorry adequately enough? Nothing he said would ever make it up to Logan and especially not Kendall. He'd caused enough scars to make him sick to his stomach; he couldn't imagine the pain he put his former boyfriend and former victim were going through.

"Fuck Logan, Kendall, I don't think I could say sorry enough to ever make it up to you." The tears clouded his vision once again, making it hard to see the road. He maneuvered the truck over to the side of the road. He hit the steering wheel over and over, doing it so much his knuckles began to bleed. He didn't care that the blood was dripping onto the black interior of the car, something he would snap at anybody else about. "Logan, I was a fool! Scott was just another one of my fucking experiments! I never meant to hurt you!" It didn't matter how loud he screamed it. Logan would never know.

…

"He woke up," James said, leading the sleepy-looking blonde boy over to Logan. Despite the fact it was three in the morning, Logan was still up. He insisted on staying up to monitor the blonde. He'd left after he was sure he'd fallen asleep. But the blonde was aroused by another dadmare (like a nightmare, but about his dad).

"Come here baby," Logan said, scooting over to make room for the blonde. James wordlessly led him over to the ravenette, who gently placed his arm around the blonde's shoulder. The blonde rested his head on the ravenette's shoulder, closing his eyes. Logan smoothed down his hair until he felt the even breaths of restless slumber. "James, we can't keep running like this. This is the first time Kendall has had a nightmare since we began running. This isn't any better on us." James sighed and sat down.

"I know, I know," he mumbled in agreement. "The last time I ate I can't even remember. We've been focused on keeping his strength up." James shoved a hand through his hair in frustration. "Fuck it all Logan. Why don't we just skip town so all of this bullshit ends?" Logan wanted to agree. But while he wanted so bad to run away with the blonde…he couldn't.

"James, you know damn well his dad would just hunt us down and possibly kill us all in the process. If we got Kendall away it'd be worth it. Are you willing to risk your life for that?" James let out a harsh sigh and grabbed Logan by the shoulders, pulling him close.

"I don't fucking know," he whispered. He glanced at Kendall (who was still asleep) before looking at Logan again. "All I know is we can't keep running like this."

"I agree," a voice said out of nowhere. James whipped around and had a hand on Carlos's throat before he could say much else.

"The fuck you doing here, Lito?" James growled, releasing him. Carlos groped around as he attempted to catch his breath. Finally gaining the necessary oxygen, he looked up at the two very pissed hockey captains.

"Look guys," he gasped, massaging his throat. "I was stupid, I'm sorry, and we have no time to talk right now. The team is still after you. Where the fuck they are now, I have no idea." He ended it with a helpless shrug. He'd wished he'd brought them better news, or perhaps came with something that was more adequate for an apology, but such times called for shortened everything. His main concern was getting Kendall away from this hell hole of a town.

"Need I remind you of these," Logan hissed, turning Kendall's wrist over. The blonde mumbled in his sleep then settled comfortably again. "Just another scar. That's all you are, Carlos, and that's all you're going to be. What you did, and what you helped do, is unforgivable, by him and certainly by me." Carlos hated the confrontation, but he had to stay and see them safely off.

"Look," he practically growled. "We don't have time. We have the team on our backs and his dad down our thro…" The sounds of glass shattering filled the night air. It sounded so out of place, for a moment the three ex-friends just looked at each other in confusion. Then a cold voice wrapped around them like a hand, crushing them all.

"I knew I'd find you," Kendall's dad said. Quick as a viper, he scooped Kendall up. The blonde's eyes flew open and he opened his mouth in a silent scream. Before anyone could react, Kendall's dad carried him out, tossed him into his beat up truck, and drove off. Logan, suddenly fueled by a mixture of rage and fear, leapt off the couch and ran outside.

"Kendall!" he cried. He sank to his knees on the wet grass, silent sobs overtaking him. James emerged and put a hand on his shoulder, not saying anything and not needing to. Carlos stood awkwardly inside, not knowing what to do. Logan turned to face his former friend. "Wanna prove to be the good guy?" he asked. Carlos nodded hesitantly. "Then help us hunt down that bastard and get Kendall back!" Carlos stepped out fully and Logan stood. For the first time in a long while, they faced each other, both showing no fear or anger.

"If it's anything now Logan," the Latino said quietly. "I'm sorry for everything." Logan knew that the Latino meant more than Kendall. Wordlessly, he nodded. He stuck out his hand, and Carlos shook it. They finally had a middle ground, united in their quest to find Kendall.

…

"Talk, damn you!" Kendall's dad screamed at him. Kendall cowered away in the unfamiliar hotel room, no table or solitude in sight. Kendall's dad struck him across the face, hard. The blonde turned violently to the side and crashed to the ground. He felt his eye beginning to close, and he hoped some welcome folds of darkness wouldn't be far behind. But no such luck. His dad hoisted him up and set him on his feet.

"One more time," he growled, getting right up in the blonde's face. "Talk. To. Me. Now!" The blonde wheeled back and pressed himself again the wall, trying to get away from this awful man who dared called himself his father. Another hard slap to the cheek (opposite one), and another crash to the ground. The blonde groaned as the other eye began to close. Two black eyes in one day. Fucking fantastic.

"Please," he whispered, so soft he wasn't sure he said it. "No…more… Please." He didn't feel another slap, so he must have done something right.

"Fucking disgrace," his dad said. Or not, whatever. "Gay son, I don't think so. I have no fucking son." Kendall wasn't even saddened by that news. It was actually kind of a relief to hear it. Maybe he'd let him go. It was like the man could read his thoughts. "You are staying right here," he said, evil smile sliding into place on cue. "Maybe I could get those fucking friends of yours to hunt you down. Then you know what. I'm gonna kill them. Just like your mother."

Kendall was going to be sick.

…

"Now honey," the nurse said in that sticky false sweet voice of hers. "You know that, that isn't allowed." Kendall didn't need to ask what. He'd been openly staring at the blonde nurse (male) that walked by his room every day. "Time for your medicine," she said with that grin that didn't reach her eyes.

"No!" Kendall cried, trying to run. "I'm better! I'm better!" The nurse smiled sadly, like it actually pained her to say this.

"Oh honey I don't think so," she said, sitting him down roughly on his bed. "No one here is right, you know." God, she talked about it like it was something to be proud of. "Now for this." She held up a needle about as long as the blonde's forearm. He struggled against her steel grip, trying to break free, to get away from the god awful needle. Quickly, she jammed it into his upper arm. The room was sound proof, so no one could hear his screams.

…

Kendall woke up shivering. He'd gotten used to not having the nightmares. Ever since Logan had been sleeping with him, the nightmares had ceased considerably. Not disappeared altogether, but at least he didn't get woken up by them every single night. This was the first time in awhile he could remember dreaming of his "healing facility". Awful hell hole was more like it. Kendall silently padded to the window and looked out. The sky was completely clear of debris, allowing the full moon to shine at its brightest and the stars to twinkle to their hearts content. He sighed softly. He hoped, wherever Logan was, he was looking at the same thing he was. Across town, Logan was thinking the same thing.


End file.
